Challenges Mount for Montana’s Marijuana Industry as Testing Lab Limitations Persist
HELENA — Business owners in Montana’s burgeoning legal marijuana market are expressing growing concerns over the state’s inadequate laboratory testing capabilities. Currently, the state’s only operational lab for essential testing is Fidelity Diagnostics in Missoula, which is struggling to keep up with increased demand following the temporary suspension of Nordic Labs in Bozeman due to testing deficiencies.
State law mandates that all marijuana products undergo testing for potency and contaminants, including pesticides, before they can be sold. However, following an audit in April, Nordic Labs entered into a settlement agreement with the Montana Department of Revenue’s Cannabis Control Division (CCD), halting their pesticide testing until discrepancies are resolved.
Wes Stucki, CEO of Top Shelf Botanicals, which runs 15 dispensaries across the region, highlighted the concern among industry leaders: “The fear is what happens if the one lab that is up and going gets shut down for some reason.” As Fidelity Diagnostics struggles with a backlog due to the increased volume of tests required, turnaround times have extended to as long as ten days, causing product shortages across Stucki’s dispensaries.
At a recent “Cannabis Conversation” event in Helena, industry stakeholders voiced their concerns directly to CCD staff and state lawmakers. Fidelity Diagnostics’ owners, Melissa and Andre Umansky, acknowledged the strain on their lab but expressed confidence in their ability to scale up operations. They revealed plans for additional hiring and equipment to better support the industry.
While Senate Bill 27, recently passed by the Montana Legislature, places a temporary freeze on cannabis licenses for production and sales, it still allows for new testing labs to enter the market. As the industry awaits further developments, the urgency for more robust testing solutions remains a pressing issue for Montana’s marijuana businesses.
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