Maine lawmakers from both parties joined public health advocates at the State House on Tuesday to introduce and advocate for legislation that would tighten regulations on growing and selling medical cannabis in the state.
"It's good business practice to ensure you're bringing quality, safe products to market," said Sen. Marianne Moore, R-Washington. "Without mandatory testing, tracking and tracing, medical cannabis patients lack assurance that the products they are consuming are free from harmful contaminants."
Recreational pot grown and sold in Maine must be tested for mold, chemicals and other contaminants. Products on shelves must be tested for purity and potency, while plants must be tracked from seed to sale.
The state's medical market, however, has no such requirements, which means there are fewer safeguards to keep unsafe or illegal cannabis off the market. Maine is the only state in the country not to require testing for potency or contaminants, such as pesticides, heavy metals and yeast.
Read more at The Portland Press Herald