A legislative committee gave final approval Tuesday to a regulatory change adjusting the allowable amount of mold and yeast in the medical cannabis supply.
Connecticut has two laboratories that test medical marijuana. The change, proposed by the Department of Consumer Protection and ratified by the Legislative Regulation Review Committee, means an increase in the total allowable amount of mold and yeast for cannabis tested at one lab and a decrease for the other.
The regulations now allow for no traceable levels of a particular breed of mold called Aspergillus, known to cause lung infections, and a total count of other yeast and mold of 100,000 colony-forming units per gram. Patients had advocated for a limit of 10,000 units per gram.
The state officially proposed the change at the end of last year, arguing that testing standards evolve after new research is published, but patients objected because of concerns about the product’s safety. The state initially changed the total limit at a request from one of the state’s labs and adjusted it after patient outcry so both labs would have the same levels.
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