The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has recalled 99 products related to allegations of rules violations by a marijuana testing laboratory that prompted an emergency order from the state commissioner of health on Friday to temporarily suspend that lab’s license.
Commissioner Keith Reed’s emergency order immediately suspended the medical marijuana business license for Oklahoma City-based Scale Laboratories, the trade name for Shiv Krupa LLC.
OMMA inspections at Scale Laboratories on April 12, April 13 and April 20, along with a review of the lab’s records, found alleged testing violations that pose a threat to public health, according to a press release from the OMMA.
“We are first and foremost concerned about the health, safety and welfare of patients who might consume harmful marijuana products,” OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry said.
“Let this serve as a warning to any licensee attempting to skirt state laws: We work diligently behind the scenes to find and take down the bad actors within this industry. If you’re engaging in actions that threaten the health and safety of Oklahomans, you won’t get away with it.”
According to the emergency order, Scale Laboratories reported to medical marijuana licensees passing test results on 138 samples that actually failed yeast and mold tests, nine samples that failed aspergillus, five samples that failed E. Coli tests and one sample that failed salmonella tests.
The lab also is alleged not to have used appropriate procedures for testing microbiological contamination, pesticides or heavy metals; not to have used appropriate quality-control methods; to have manipulated testing data; and to have routinely deviated from its standard operating procedures, the OMMA reported.
The OMMA alerted 33 businesses to the recall, informing them about actual testing on the 99 products.
The growers and processors that received the recall notice are required to inform dispensaries that bought the recalled products from them. OMMA rules require dispensaries to contact patients who purchased the recalled products.
Patients with questions about the recall should contact their dispensary. OMMA advises any patient in possession of a recalled product to return it to the dispensary and any patient concerned that they might have consumed a recalled product to contact their physician.
A list of the recalled products is available on the OMMA website.
