Service Notification
Sample Pick-up and Drop-off Requirements for Licensees
The California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) released a series of communications intended to clarify regulations regarding the collection, handling, and transport of cannabis samples intended for quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) or research and development (R&D) testing. These clarifications pertain only to cannabis and cannabis product testing and do not pertain to products derived from industrial hemp.
Based on this direction, all QA/QC or R&D cannabis samples submitted to a licensed testing laboratory, by a licensee, must either be collected from the licensee’s premises by the lab sampler/courier, or be delivered to the licensed lab testing facility by an employee of the licensee.
Regulations at a Glance
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE – CHAPTER 10. Testing Laboratories, 261041
(c) Except as provided in this division, a testing laboratory shall not acquire or receive cannabis or cannabis products except from a licensee in accordance with this division, and shall not distribute, sell, or dispense cannabis or cannabis products, from the licensed premises from which the cannabis or cannabis products were acquired or received. All transfer or transportation shall be performed pursuant to a specified chain of custody protocol.
(d) A testing laboratory may receive and test samples of cannabis or cannabis products from a qualified patient or primary caregiver with a valid physician’s recommendation for cannabis for medicinal purposes. A testing laboratory shall not certify samples from a qualified patient or primary caregiver for resale or transfer to another person or licensee. All tests performed by a testing laboratory for a qualified patient or primary caregiver shall be recorded with the name of the qualified patient or primary caregiver and the amount of cannabis or cannabis product received.
(e) A testing laboratory may receive and test samples of cannabis or cannabis products from a person over 21 years of age when the cannabis has been grown by that person and will be used solely for his or her personal use, as authorized pursuant to Section 11362.1 of the Health and Safety Code. A testing laboratory shall not certify samples from the person over 21 years of age for resale or transfer to another person or licensee. All tests recorded pursuant to this subdivision shall be recorded with the name of the person submitting the sample and the amount of cannabis or cannabis product received.
More Information
For more information about QA/QC or R&D cannabis testing, or to schedule a pickup for your sample, please contact your dedicated SC Labs representative.
- Business and Professions Code (BPC), Section 26104 – November 2019, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=26104.