Alabama Cannabis Regulators Grant Medical Marijuana Testing License To Foley-Based Lab

*The lab will be the only medical cannabis testing lab in the state until
AMCC reopens the application process.*

*By Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector*

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) voted Tuesday to award
Foley-based Green Health Laboratories a state testing laboratory license.

AMCC reopened the application process after Certus Laboratories, a previous
lab company that had been awarded a license, chose not to renew due to the
financial decisions amid ongoing litigation, AMCC Director John McMillan
said in a phone interview after the meeting.

“They chose not to renew that annual fee, which is pretty expensive with
the uncertainty where we are with all this litigation,” McMillan said.

Green Health Laboratories was the sole applicant in this offering after the
commission reopened an application window for state testing labs.

The lab will be the only medical cannabis testing lab in the state until
AMCC reopens the application process. There are no limits on how many
testing laboratory licenses the commission may award.

The AMCC opened a one-month window in February for parties to request an
application for state testing laboratory licenses. Of the five requests the
commission received, only Green Health Laboratories completed an
application. There was a 30-day public comment period that closed on June
15, without receiving any public comments.

Tuesday’s vote to award the license came after Green Health Laboratories
president Brandon Biles and laboratory director Natalie Siracusa presented
their Foley-based testing laboratory to commission members at a June 12
meeting, where they said the company prioritizes patient safety and
compliance.

“That was an interesting presentation. I thought they did a great job. So,
we’re glad to have Green Health Laboratories present for us,” said AMCC
Chair Rex Vaughn Tuesday.

At a June 12 meeting, Vaughn said that they would be “the firewall for safe
dispensing of cannabis products in Alabama” being the only testing lab in
the state.

During the lab’s presentation the week prior, commission member pharmacist
Sam Blakemore raised questions regarding quality control, particularly
concerning heavy metals and fungi, and the ability to address dispensary
concerns during Green Health Laboratories’ presentation. Siracusa and Biles
said they would be ready to conduct on-site collections and testing quickly
if issues arise.

Under Alabama’s medical cannabis law passed in 2021, physicians can
recommend the use of cannabis for patients with qualifying health issues.
These conditions include chronic pain, PTSD, epilepsy and cancer-related
pain. The law allows cannabis to be dispensed in forms such as tablets,
tinctures, patches, oils and gummies, though only peach flavored. The use
of raw plant material is not allowed.

*This story was first published by Alabama Reflector.*

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