First Recreational MJ testing lab opens in Yakima

[RainDog]

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2014/06/washington_states_first_recrea.html

A new laboratory has opened in a building that once analyzed hops for beer-makers, but the green matter going under the microscope now is hop's more notorious cousin, marijuana. The lab will measure the level of THC, which produces the high. It also will check for mold, bacteria, parasites and pesticides.

"It's not only providing the relative dose, but safety for the consumer," said Randall Oliver, Analytical 360's chief scientist.

The state requires that marijuana producers provide a 7-gram sample from every 5-pound lot of marijuana buds. For liquids, a producer must give a 2-gram sample from each batch, while edible marijuana producers have to supply a single item from each batch for testing.

The full battery of tests takes about a week to complete. If a sample fails a test, it is retested again and rejected if it fails a second time. The company will post the results on its website for the public to see, just as it now does with medical marijuana.