A cannabis testing lab based in Olympia, Wash., is facing a sixth-month emergency suspension, during which time the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) will seek to revoke its certification permanently.
State regulators issued the 180-day suspension Oct. 24 against True Northwest Inc., which has been a state-certified cannabis testing lab since July 2014, according to the LCB. True Northwest tests cannabis and hemp flowers, extracts, edibles, topical and tinctures, and offers the cannabis and hemp industries full analytical services, according to its website.
The state began investigating True Northwest in September, after regulators received documentation suggesting the lab was providing inaccurate quality assurance and quality control test results, according to LCB.
“Despite being aware of deficiencies, the lab continued to submit inaccurate and/or false test results to the LCB and the lab’s clients,” according to an Oct. 25 bulletin from the board. “The lab failed to submit an acceptable corrective action report in response to a deficiency report. In addition, there were multiple serious deficiencies found during a laboratory assessment and proficiency testing.”
In addition to inaccurate test results issued to licensees and the public, the emergency suspension was based on the lab’s failure to meet state-mandated accreditation requirements such as not having a lab director and scales that were not properly calibrated, according to LCB.
Here is the investigation background, according to LCB:
- Sept. 19, 2023: Third-party lab certification monitor RJ Lee confirmed to LCB that True Northwest was out of compliance regarding proficiency testing and had failed proficiency tests on June 16, 2022, and May 23, 2023.
- Oct. 4, 2023: LCB was notified that True Northwest no longer had a lab director on-site, a violation of certification requirements.
- Oct. 9, 2023: LCB and RJ Lee group conducted an audit at True Northwest. During the audit multiple deficiencies were found including five that were critical and posed a significant public safety concern.
- Oct. 11, 2023: LCB placed the lab on administrative hold prohibiting any further receipt or new tests or conducting any further quality assurance testing.
- Oct. 25, 2023: The board of the LCB approved an emergency suspension of True Northwest.
Cannabis Business Times reached out to the board’s chair for comment.
