Pubdate: Fri, 10 Mar 2017
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2017 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Grant Robertson
Page: A6

MEDICAL-MARIJUANA GROUP TO OVERHAUL SAFETY MEASURES

The largest association of medical-marijuana companies in Canada has
agreed to implement new standards on product safety and transparency,
after a series of recalls due to banned pesticides that have shaken
consumer confidence in the industry.

Directors of the Cannabis Canada Association, which represents 15
federally licensed medical marijuana companies - including several of
the country's biggest - voted unanimously in favour of the new health
and safety standards at a board meeting Thursday.

The stricter measures include independent lab testing for banned
pesticides, bacteria, mould, heavy metals and other contaminants, and
- - most importantly - disclosing those results to consumers.

The decision to start disclosing test results to the public represents
an abrupt shift in thinking for the sector and comes after The Globe
and Mail began questioning the oversight of medical marijuana safety
testing. The Globe first reported in December that myclobutanil had
been found in products sold by two companies, putting patients at
risk, and that Health Canada was not requiring companies to test for
such chemicals.

Myclobutanil is a banned pesticide that produces hydrogen cyanide when
heated and can lead to serious health problems, particularly in cancer
patients and those with compromised immune systems.

Going forward, the association will require its members to test for
dozens of contaminants, including 51 pesticides, and expects all of
its members to post that information online so that patients can see
that the products were scrutinized by an independent and certified
federal laboratory.

The industry group "will soon roll out new guidelines and standards
aimed at enhancing consumer safety and increasing transparency within
the medical-cannabis sector in Canada," the organization said in a
statement.

"Members of the association must provide, as a requirement of
membership, confirmation that their product testing protocols include
bacteria, microbial, aflatoxins, heavy metals and pesticides, and it
is recommended that the results will be published online so these are
readily available for consumers."

The announcement comes after one of the group's members, Aurora
Cannabis Inc., announced Thursday morning that it had started posting
test results from an accredited lab for all of its products.

The association's five-member board voted in favour of adopting the
stricter guidelines and providing public disclosure so that consumers
can be confident products they are taking contain no contaminants,
said Neil Closner, chairman of the association.

"More information is always better," said Mr. Closner, who is also
chief executive officer of Med-Releaf, a licensed producer based in
Markham, Ont.

While Aurora has already started disclosing its lab results, Mr.
Closner said some companies could be delayed in posting them online as
they revamp their webpages. However, companies will be expected to
take such measures as soon as possible. As well, companies that don't
test for pesticides will be expected to bring their standards in line
with the new requirements.

Another member of the organization, Organi-Gram Inc., said it expects
to begin posting its testing data next week, to show that its products
are free of contaminants.

The association represents 15 of the more than 30 licensed producers
in Canada. (There are 38 commercial medical-marijuana licences issued
by Health Canada, however, some companies hold multiple licences for
different grow locations.)

Cannabis Canada's membership includes the following companies:
AB-cann, Aphria, Aurora, Broken Coast Cannabis, Canada's Island
Garden, Cann-Trust, Emblem, Emerald Health, Green Relief,
Hydropothecary, Mari-Cann, Med-Releaf, Organi-Gram, Weed-MD and 7 Acres.

Though not all of the industry is represented by the association, Mr.
Closner said he hopes the rest of the sector will follow its lead by
adopting the new testing and disclosure requirements. The
association's members will formally vote on the measures in early
April, he said.

The move is an attempt to restore consumer confidence in the industry
after two companies, Mettrum and Organi-Gram, announced recalls this
past year due to the discovery of banned pesticides in their products.
The banned chemicals included myclobutanil, which is considered
dangerous when used on plants that are smoked, such as tobacco and
cannabis.

Medical-marijuana patients, including those who use it to treat
late-stage cancer pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and epilepsy,
among other conditions, and those who have compromised immune systems,
told The Globe they were worried about ingesting the pesticides.

Because Health Canada had not required companies to test for
myclobutanil, or disclose any testing results to the public, several
patients said they weren't sure if the products sold by the industry
could be trusted as completely safe.

Since then, Health Canada has attached new licence conditions to
Organi-Gram and Mettrum, which is now owned by Canopy Growth Corp.,
requiring the two companies to test all products before selling them.
Health Canada also announced it would require random testing for
banned pesticides for the rest of the industry, though some patients
have said random testing isn't enough.

The steps taken by the industry on Thursday go further by making the
test results available to the public, so that patients can see where
the testing was done, and if the information is credible.

Mr. Closner said his company, Med-Releaf, was already testing for more
than 100 contaminants in its products, though it wasn't making the lab
results public. He said he supports the push to give consumers
transparency.

"Med-Releaf will soon begin to provide our patients with access to a
simplified Certificate of Analysis [from an independent lab]
representing all products being sold," the company said in a statement.
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MAP posted-by: Matt