The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has put an administrative hold on a large number of medical cannabis products after allegations that those products were not properly tested for pesticides.
The halted products are those tested by Rapid Analytics out of Natchez, one of two testing facilities in the state. Steep Hill, Mississippi, located in Jackson, is still able to test products for dispensaries. MSDH notified Rapid Analytics of the issue on the Wednesday after Christmas. The two groups met to review the company’s testing procedures.
A representative from Rapid Analytics said the claims of improper testing are baseless and came from an anonymous phone call. The company indicated that this hold has impacted roughly 70 percent of the medical cannabis products on the market in the state. Rapid Analytics plans to retest all cannabis samples, even though they are not required to do so in order to reassure patients and dispensaries.
Since the state made medical cannabis products legal for specific ailments, the program for which products can be developed, tested, and dispersed has been operated by the MSDH. The Health Department, which certifies growers and dispensaries, requires products to be tested prior to dispensaries obtaining and selling the items. Medical cannabis products first hit the shelves in January of 2023.
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