The article below was written by Calvin Cutler and originally published on WCAX.

A Colchester laboratory will soon be home to the first state-run cannabis testing lab. Three chemists will test samples of legal weed for pesticides, pathogens, and potency.

The state has been using two private labs, but regulators say having their own lab would let them test products faster and collect more data. They say safety and quality are the hallmarks of a legal weed market.

“What you’re getting with the taxed and regulated market is a guarantee there’s no harmful pesticides — you’re getting a testing protocol. That’s what you’re paying for with the extra 20 percent excise tax. This lab is going to be central to making sure we’re achieving that mission,” said James Pepper with the Cannabis Control Board.

He says the state is seeing an increase in banned synthetic cannabinoids, and the lab will also help test for those. Officials are waiting on equipment and hope to have the lab running in the coming months.

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