Mass. marijuana testing lab at center of scandal will reopen after $300K fine

The Massachusetts marijuana testing lab at the center of the biggest product in recall in state history will reopen next month after paying a $300,000 fine under an agreement with state regulators approved Thursday.Assured Testing Laboratories, which tested roughly 25% of the cannabis in the state between April 2024 and 2025, had been out of business since July 4 after the state Cannabis Control Commission suspended its license.

ADVERTISEMENT Assured had a fail rate for yeast and mold 90 times lower than the statewide average, according to a June 30 CCC suspension order.That triggered a recall of 7,605 “packages” of product, 509 of which were still in the supply chain, according to the CCC.

Legal cannabis sales in Massachusetts topped $1.6 billion in 2024.The lab sued regulators in Suffolk County Superior Court soon after its suspension recover its permit while also seeking a hearing.

Under a final order and stipulated agreement approved at the state CCC meeting Thursday, Assured can reopen on Sept.15.

Massachusetts marijuana lab agrees to punishment after testing scandal The episode is the first example of Massachusetts regulators cracking down on an allegedly unscrupulous cannabis testing laboratory after years of accusations nationwide that labs are able to skirt rules with impunity.Labs across the country are coming under increased scrutiny after years of complaints of wrongdoing from competing labs and the public.

Critics claim that labs routinely inflate THC potency and clear contaminated product for sale to please clients and maintain market share without serious consequences.For a two-year probationary period, Assured will report test results to the commission every two weeks.

The lab will also: Pay a $300,000 fine in $100,000 bimonthly installments, starting in two months.Suspend the lab’s CEO and minority owner Dimitrios Pelekoudas for one year.

Contract with an independent auditor that wi...