public health preparedness and response

For a drug that once carried a life sentence for possession in Texas, the last 20 years has seen sweeping reform to cannabis policy in the US. Although Colorado legalized it for medical use in 2000, its 2012 legalization for recreational usage brought new challenges for public health officials. In March 2017, APHL Public Health Preparedness and Response( PHPR) staff visited the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment( CDPHE) Laboratory Services Division, to discuss CDPHE’ s role in the Laboratory Response Network, biosafety and outreach to sentinel clinical laboratories and testing for cannabis and associated products.

Certification of private laboratories falls under the responsibility of the CDPHE Laboratory Services Division. These on-site inspections by CDPHE staff ensure that laboratories are operating with proper quality control measures and procedures deemed appropriate for testing, all of which are done to ensure the safety of the final product that consumers will purchase in retail outlets. Acting as a technical resource for the private laboratories, CDPHE also oversees the proficiency testing program that private laboratories use to internally audit their capabilities.

Moving forward, CDPHE expects to see its role quickly expand. When a manufacturer disagrees with the results provided by a private laboratory, CDPHE will be relied upon to confirm the quality of the product. Similar to foodborne disease outbreaks, the laboratory can also be called into action to determine the source of a marijuana product suspected to be causing illness from the presence of a microbial agent. Since private laboratories use proprietary testing methods, CDPHE faces the task of developing its own laboratory techniques to ensure consistent and reliable results. This requires the hiring and training of new staff as well as the procurement of equipment such as gas and liquid chromatography systems.

As with any new program, recreational marijuana is sure to create new challenges for CDPHE. Fortunately for Coloradans, their public health laboratory has made it a high priority.

References 1. Retail Marijuana Product Manufacturers. https:// www. colorado. gov / pacific / sites / default / files / Product % 20

03012017. pdf

2. Retail Marijuana Testing Facilities. https:// www. colorado. gov / pacific / sites / default / files / RLab % 2003012017. pdf

3. Guidance for State Medical Cannabis Testing Programs https:// www. aphl. org / AboutAPHL / publications / Documents / EH-Guide-State-Med-Cannabis-052016. pdf

Medical cannabis has been approved for use in a number of states but remains outside federal control. As has been reported, the absence of federal guidance when it comes to cannabis testing has led states to develop their own approaches. Since 2014, APHL’ s Environmental Health program has convened a monthly community of practice call so that member laboratories could share questions, advice, lessons learned and resources. As a result of these calls, APHL developed Guidance for State Medical Cannabis Testing Programs 3 for laboratorians charged with assessing existing programs, as well as developing new testing programs.