Department of Agriculture to take over testing of cannabis in Washington state

State officials say new oversight of cannabis testing in Washington will standardize quality control.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture will take over responsibility for the accreditation of cannabis-testing laboratories in Washington on Monday. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board previously oversaw the labs.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed a law on March 13 authorizing the Department of Agriculture to accredit cannabis laboratories. The state will now charge the labs fees to cover the costs of the accreditation program.

Brian Smith, spokesperson for the Liquor and Cannabis Board, said the agency is “glad to have that over in the Department of Agriculture where it belongs.”

Smith said the Liquor and Cannabis Board was given the task of accrediting testing facilities without the proper infrastructure to do so after cannabis was legalized back in 2012. This meant the board had to hire a company to accredit the labs.

The change, which has been in progress for five years, will allow for a more standardized approach to testing cannabis for THC potency, the psychoactive component of the drug, and pesticide content, said Agriculture Department spokesperson Amber Betts.

“In the past, there wasn’t as many standards, or any kind of oversight, so I could take this product to my favorite lab and get a higher potency for the consumer and say, ‘Yes, our stuff is better than the other guys,’ ” Betts said. “What it does for the consumer is it gives everybody kind of a level playing field.”

There are seven accredited cannabis labs in Washington – one of which, Green Grow Labs, is located in Spokane.