Connecticut regulators have proposed new allowable levels of mold and yeast in medical cannabis after a rule change last year allowed one of the state’s labs to increase its limit, according to a CT Insider report.
The new rules would set a limit of 100,000 colony forming units per gram and would not allow any detectable levels of certain breeds of mold in the Aspergillus family, the news outlet reported.
Two labs are currently operating in Connecticut, and the proposal would allow one lab to increase its limits and the other to decrease them, according to CT Insider.
The change was sparked by patients’ complaints after the state approved a request from AltaSci Labs last year to raise its limits to 1 million colony forming units per gram when the lab’s limit had initially been 10,000 units per gram, the news outlet reported.
Northeast Laboratories, the other lab in the state, has maintained its limit of 10,000 units per gram.
The proposed rule change is meant to “create clarity and consistency for medical marijuana laboratories and medical marijuana patients,” according to a Department of Consumer Protection press release. Department spokeswoman Kaitlyn Krasselt told CT Insider that the proposed standards “were drafted in consultation with several microbiologists” and “will prohibit specific types of yeast and mold in cannabis flower that may cause injury when inhaled and allow 10^5 cfu/g of colony forming units that have no demonstrated injurious impact on human health.”
The department will accept public comment on the rule change through Feb. 1, CT Insider reported, and will then determine what changes are needed based on the feedback received. The Attorney General’s office will then have 30 days to review the regulations, which, if approved, would then go to the Legislative Regulations Review Committee.
