Maine Bill Would Add Medical Cannabis Testing Rules

A new bill in Maine would require medical cannabis products to be tested similarly to adult-use products, according to a WGME report.

Under Maine’s adult-use cannabis regulations, all products sold by licensed retailers must be tested for potency and contaminants, but the state’s medical cannabis program has no such requirement. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Marc Malon (D) and supported by Gov. Janet Mills (D), would require medical cannabis products to be tested for pesticides, heavy metals, and potency.

“At the end of the day, we need to make sure that products being sold to consumers are clean,” Malon said.

Meanwhile, the medical cannabis trade association Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine (MMCM) released an op-ed on Wednesday calling the proposal a “misguided approach that will harm small businesses while failing to address real concerns.”

The MMCM said rather than mandatory potency and heavy metal testing, the state should prioritize investigating and preventing illicit grows, setting consistent standards for testing labs, preventing dangerous pesticide use, and researching safety standards for the industry.

“Mandatory testing won’t stop the illicit market—it will kill small businesses and reduce patient access to safe, high-quality cannabis. Governor Mills needs to stop ignoring industry stakeholders and start working with them to craft sensible, science-based policies.” — MMCM leadership, in the op-ed

The Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) issued product recalls last October for several batches of adult-use cannabis products due to mold and bacteria contamination.