Mississippi’s Department of Health (MSDH) recently halted the sales of products tested by Rapid Analytics, a testing lab responsible for testing the majority of medical marijuana products in the state. The decision was made due to concerns about the compliance of these products with regulatory standards. Rapid Analytics owner, Mami Henry, revealed that MSDH received an anonymous tip suggesting that the lab was not properly conducting pesticide tests for cannabis products.
In response to the hold, Rapid Analytics sent all the original samples of products tested in the last two months to MSDH, which then contracted another company to re-test them. Henry expressed frustration at the decision, stating, “We have everything they need to get this done. There is absolutely no reason for them to hire someone else to re-test our product when we have our product available that we would gladly provide for the state.”
Moving on to New Jersey, a bill has been approved by the state legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature. This bill aims to assist police in handling underage alcohol and marijuana possession and use. It revises the deprivation of civil rights penalty threat against officers, which previously prevented them from enforcing underage drinking laws. Under the existing law, if an officer detains or causes a minor to be searched and discovers alcohol or weed, the officer can be prosecuted due to minors not legally being able to consent to a search. The proposed bill requires proof of the intention to violate the minor’s rights, which will help both law enforcement and juveniles in the long run.
In Delaware, State Rep. Edward Osienski introduced House Bill 285, which seeks to expand the state’s medical marijuana program. The bill aims to remove the requirement that a patient must have a debilitating medical condition to qualify for a medical marijuana card. Instead, healthcare providers would have the authority to determine whether a patient would receive therapeutic or palliative benefits from the use of medical marijuana. This change would provide improved access to medical marijuana for patients, regardless of their specific medical condition.
Meanwhile, in New Mexico, lawmakers are working on legislation to amend the state’s Cannabis Regulation Act. The proposed amendment would allow the state Regulation and Licensing Department to temporarily halt the issuance of new marijuana retail licenses. This comes in response to concerns raised by over 100 marijuana businesses and supporters who urged the governor to stop issuing new licenses due to market oversaturation.
As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, it is important for regulatory authorities to ensure compliance and safety standards are met. These recent developments in Mississippi, New Jersey, Delaware, and New Mexico demonstrate the ongoing efforts to address various issues and improve the cannabis industry’s operations and regulations.
