June 17 Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6/17/2025
Safe Leaf - New Jersey
An independent science watchdog for cannabis safety
Contact: Andrea Raible (201) 448-7660 safeleafsociety{at}gmail.com or Yasha Kahn yasha{at}mcrlabs.com
New data: https://blog.mcrlabs.com/unveiling-cannabis-testing-data/
###
National data reveals widespread safety issues in regulated cannabis products
Trenton - A review of laboratory testing data collected through open records requests directed to cannabis regulatory agencies in thirty-seven states traces a disturbing trend of potential labeling fraud on the most commonly sold products.
Screening for contaminants and potency is essential for public health. However, ineffective or nonexistent enforcement appears to have opened the door for some operators to develop a culture of manipulating key test results in what seems to be an industry-wide problem.
Some of the new data was acquired directly from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission and appears to align with the worst national trends.
Just in the last year, New Jersey may have sold more than $800 million of cannabis products that were improperly tested for human consumption.
Overall, it appears that product safety is being compromised on a national scale by appalling industry practices and inadequate government supervision.
Tens of millions of people who access regulated cannabis for medical and adult use across the country could be affected.
Yasha Kahn is a co-founder of MCR Labs. Performing state-approved cannabis testing revealed to Kahn how some operators seemed to be fixing the results, so he started compiling a national database to get a better view of the problem.
MCR has now partnered with the University of Mississippi's National Center for Cannabis Research and Education to acquire and make public all available testing data from state regulators.
“When we purchase any food, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic product, we expect the labels to be accurate and that the products are safe. Cannabis should be held to the same standard,” explained Kahn, “As consumers, we expect labels to represent the products we purchase.”
Levels of cannabinoids like THC and CBD are closely linked to retail prices. Higher THC often commands an increased price and even sells faster. Unsafe products are not supposed to be available for sale at all.
Consumers are directed to purchase legally regulated cannabis products at premium prices with significant taxes. The perceived safety is often the paramount marketing point.
“Regulators and policymakers in numerous states seem to understand that there are bad actors manipulating results and labels. Data from across the nation shows that certain state markets are being regulated far better than others,” said Kahn.
DATA LINK https://blog.mcrlabs.com/unveiling-cannabis-testing-data/
Some states - like New Jersey - are currently struggling to deliver consistent safety protocols and results. Other states have taken a more proactive approach to consumer safety. For example, Maryland has moved forward with a revised and much-improved testing regime.
Solutions include: Increased off-the-shelf testing with more rigorous standards and fully transparent data access, additional statutory guidelines, and strict enforcement parameters.
Common standards for cannabis testing practices and enforcement should also be adopted across state lines.
Kahn’s national data review backs up Safe Leaf’s local, independent lab testing.
We found in our first sample of NJ products that THC levels printed on some product labels appeared to be inflated. Other products tested had microbial contamination levels that were far out of compliance for safe levels in NJ regulations.
Analysis of the national cannabis testing database indicates that tests that are most financially relevant to operators are the ones that seem to be most often manipulated. Notably, as state laboratory regulations were updated, the results appeared to conveniently adjust accordingly.
Andrea Raible is an advocate who lives with neurological conditions that are managed by cannabis. She co-founded Safe Leaf to help address some endemic issues in NJ’s compassionate use program.
“Our secret shopper results and national data trends confirm that cannabis product mislabeling is not occuring in isolated incidents,” said Raible, “What we are trying to address is an ongoing threat to public health.”
Recently the New Jersey Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee held a hearing on cannabis lab testing in direct response to our first report.
Safe Leaf Society co-founders Michael Boone and Andrea Raible answered questions on the record, at length. Representatives from the cannabis industry and laboratories also testified.
Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D-16) noted during the hearing, “The fact that we recognize that we have haphazard testing going on, and if someone finds a result that they don't like they have the ability to go shop that result someplace else, how do we take comfort that our products are safe?”
Legislators seemed to understand how a breach of public trust could undermine the legal cannabis programs. Meanwhile, recent updates to NJ’s lab testing requirements have been indefinitely delayed.
Labeling fraud or product safety corruption of food or pharmaceuticals is punished with heavy state and federal fines, some over $500,000, while violators are also subject to prosecution in criminal and civil courts.
Chris Goldstein, a regional organizer with NORML, observed that existing state agencies could lend some critical support. All states operate some form of consumer protection team as part of the Attorneys General’s offices.
“The Division of Consumer Affairs in New Jersey already handles labeling issues with most products,” said Goldstein, “It makes sense to incorporate cannabis consumer safety under the same umbrella.”
Raible also wants to see consequences that have some bite, “Cannabis operators and laboratories should be liable for the same civil and criminal penalties used to maintain integrity in other industries. With strengthened regulatory requirements and adequately scaled enforcement we can effectively eliminate test manipulation from our cannabis market.”
###
