Weedweek reports
The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) declined to renew the license of California Cannabis Testing Labs (CCTL) alleging numerous violations in how the lab tests for pesticide and THC levels. The DCC lays the allegations out in a 12-page…
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https://www.weedweek.com/stories/scoop-dcc-shutters-lab-alleging-numerous-violations/
MJ Biz write
The July 24 notice from DCC Deputy Director Michael Cheng lists 20 alleged violations uncovered at California Cannabis Testing Labs (CCTL).
The DCC’s decision to cancel CCTL’s license was first reported by WeedWeek.
According to the letter, the DCC canceled the lab’s provisional license and denied its application for an annual license.
Alleged violations include:
- “Deliberately” faking bench sheet records for pesticides and mycotoxins.
- Retesting samples to produce “false and artificially inflated levels of THC.”
- Manipulating lab equipment to be unable to detect solvents and pesticides identified as cancer risks by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CCTL’s laboratory director, who was not identified in the DCC’s letter, also allegedly signed a certificate of analysis (COA) for a cannabis product that reported no detection of the pesticide chlorfenapyr.
But a test conducted later by the state “on samples collected from the same batch” found nearly 600 times the amount of chlorfenapyr allowed under state law, according to the DCC.
CCTL’s owners – listed as Roger Chivukula, Krishna Chivukula and Melissa Mabe – did not immediately return an MJBizDaily email seeking comment.
Calls to the phone number listed on the lab’s website went to a voicemail that was full.
Lab plans to fight back
Under state law, CCTL can request a hearing to contest the findings.
DCC spokesperson David Hafner told MJBizDaily that CCTL “has requested an ex parte hearing regarding the status of their license.”
The agency “plans to oppose the ex parte application and does not have any additional comment at this time,” Hafner said in an emailed statement.
CCTL’s license, which state records indicate was first issued in July 2019, was listed as canceled in a state database on Friday.
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