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<section article="gab" article_name="Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis" number="36-204" title_number="36" title_name="Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Maryland Cannabis Administration">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Administration shall establish and maintain a State cannabis testing laboratory.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>On or before July 1, 2023, the Maryland Department of Agriculture or the Maryland Department of Health may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Administration to test cannabis at an existing State–owned laboratory if doing so would be a more economic and efficient alternative to the establishment of a testing laboratory under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If the Maryland Department of Agriculture or the Maryland Department of Health and the Administration determine that co–locating cannabis testing at an existing State–owned laboratory is not operationally feasible, sufficient funding shall be provided in the annual budget to comply with paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The State cannabis testing laboratory is responsible for:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>developing and maintaining a cannabis laboratory reference library that contains cannabis testing methodologies in the areas of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>potency;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>homogeneity;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>detection and quantitation of contaminants; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>solvents;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>establishing standard operating procedures for sample collection, preparation, and analysis of cannabis by independent testing laboratories;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>conducting proficiency testing of independent testing laboratories;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>remediating problems with independent testing laboratories;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>conducting compliance testing on cannabis samples analyzed by independent testing laboratories; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>identifying and detecting the presence and purity of cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco in samples or seized contraband in support of the regulatory authority of the Administration.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>Independent testing laboratories licensed under § 36–408 of this title shall provide materials for the cannabis laboratory reference library.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The State cannabis testing laboratory shall hold medical and adult–use cannabis testing to the same standards.</text>
  </level>
</section>
