NM’s cannabis testing laboratories face evolving needs, demands

Analytical lab manager Calen McKenzie explains the readout of results from a test of a sample of cannabis at the Rio Grande Analytics lab in Albuquerque on Aug. 22, 2022. Liam DeBonis/Journal

Analytical lab manager Calen McKenzie explains the readout of results from a test of a sample of cannabis at the Rio Grande Analytics lab in Albuquerque. (Liam DeBonis/Journal)

If a customer walks into a licensed New Mexico dispensary to buy an eighth (3.5 grams) of flower today, they'll see more than the product's name. They'll see a label that will show potency levels to let the customer know how much THC — or tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive component in cannabis — is in the product. The label is also an indicator that the cannabis at these licensed dispensaries has also undergone a variety of different tests, including microbiological testing — which includes the search for mold such as aspergillus, bacteria and fungi. Soon, the Cannabis Control Division will require that cannabis be tested for pesticides to further confirm that marijuana purchased by customers from licensed retailers in New Mexico is safe for consumption. And homogeneity testing will be implemented in the next couple years, ensuring potency levels across consumable cannabis products that sit on the shelves of the hundreds of dispensaries across the state. But as the industry continues to grow with more producers, manufacturers and retailers and as more people consume cannabis, industry leaders say New Mexico's testing labs — and even new facilities that may be licensed in the future — will need time and resources to adapt. That could include the addition of more testing facilities outside the Albuquerque metro area, and for labs to expand services to offer different types of testing. As the state's regulatory framework evolves, "In the future, as we learn more about how cannabis works on the human body, I think there will be opportunities for testing labs to enhance the services they offer," said Ben Lewinger, the executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce.

NM’s cannabis testing laboratories face evolving needs, demands

Rio Grande Analytics CEO Barry Dungan holds samples of THC concentrate to be tested at the Rio Grande Analytics lab in Albuquerque on Aug. 22, 2022. Liam DeBonis/Journal

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