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BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Another step has been taken toward the reality of retail marijuana sales in Massachusetts as two independent testing labs have been authorized by the Cannabis Control Commission.
MCR Labs and CDX Analytics have been notified they can commence operations of testing marijuana and marijuana products for the adult-use cannabis industry in the state. The two labs are already involved in medicinal marijuana testing.
Cannabis Commission member Jen Flanagan told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 this was a big step in making sure that whatever products end up in retail shops are safe.
"Obviously you want the product to be safe, you obviously want to make sure it's free from contaminates, and this is just a big part of moving forward," she said. "They're going to let us know, hopefully within a short amount of time, that they're ready to take products from facilities and to start to test them."
Flanagan said people should know things are moving forward, but that just when retail sales will begin is still up in the air.
"You never know what could happen--there could be a delay on the part of the owner, could be a delay as part of the licensing, something could happen during inspection," Flanagan said. "We just want to say that we're moving closer, the day is coming, and that testing labs will be in place and that products will be able to move through that process."
On the retail side, 64 provisional licenses have been approved, with 12 final licenses approved toward implementing the retail sales. Before those final licensees can commence operations, they may submit existing inventory to the laboratories to begin testing.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) reports