Mississippi regulators said they are moving to revoke the license of cannabis testing lab Rapid Analytics following a seven-week investigation that revealed “significant deviations from regulatory standards and approved procedures.”
On Dec. 21, the Mississippi State Department of Health placed a “large number” of medical cannabis products on hold for retesting for pesticides and mycotoxins. The MSDH then announced another administrative hold and retesting of products began Jan. 3. The Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program is paying for all costs to retest products.
The health department said the original hold was placed after the MMCP found discrepancies during an audit of Certificates of Analysis surrounding original test results for pesticides and mycotoxins completed by Natchez, Miss.-based Rapid Analytics. According to the CRB Monitor licensing database, the MSDH temporarily suspended the facility’s license.
Following the investigation that concluded Feb. 9, MSDH decided to revoke Rapid Analytics’ license effective March 13.
“Medical cannabis testing is critical to ensuring product safety for patients, and Rapid Analytics’ disregard for regulatory compliance poses a threat to public health and welfare,” the agency said in a Feb. 22 news release.
Rapid Analytics has 20 days to appeal the decision. According to the Natchez Democrat, Rapid Analytics owner Mamie Henry said an appeal was filed Jan. 5. The company was originally cooperative, but now, “We no longer have faith in the investigation,” Henry said in the article.
Messages left with a spokesman for the MSDH and with Rapid Analytics were unreturned by deadline.
