Arizona SB 1494 Testing Implementation Best Practices

Senate Bill 1494 – Arizona Testing Bill Overview

In June 2019, Governor Ducey signed SB 1494 into law, which goes into effect November 2020.
SB 1494 requires the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to establish mandated marijuana testing through state licensed testing laboratory.
The new law creates standards for labs to test marijuana for contaminates and toxins such as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.
By November 1, 2020, any medical marijuana and medical marijuana products (MM) sold by dispensaries must pass state testing requirements.
It can take up to 6 months to implement processes to be compliant with the new testing laws and meet the November 2020 timeline.
Currently 22% – 30% of Arizona’s MM tested fail SB 1494 testing requirements.
Additionally, remediating product for pesticide and/or heavy metals can take 2 – 3 grow cycles to purge pesticide contaminant and/or heavy metals from plant tissue.

IF YOU OWN/OPERATE A DISPENSARY, CULTIVATION OR PROCESSING CENTER IN ARIZONA, IT’S TIME TO START IMPLEMENTING TESTING BEST PRACTICES NOW. DON’T FALL BEHIND AND RISK GETTING YOUR OPERATIONS SHUT DOWN UNTIL YOU ARE COMPLIANT WITH SB 1494.

AZ Testing Implementation Best Practices Package

Our Arizona Testing Package includes a set of guides and necessary documents to help your business ensure compliance with Arizona’s new testing regulations. To ensure your business is prepared for the implementation of the new law that goes into effect November 1, 2020, this package includes the following:

Testing Regulations and Editable Timeline for each operational action item
- This editable timeline includes a list of all activities/tasks you will need to accomplish to ensure your business is able to provide dispensaries with supply that meets testing requirements. This customizable spreadsheet is preconfigured to allow you to change dates for tasks that will auto populate throughout the document.
Packaging and Labeling Guidance and Mockup
- Designed to ease the transition process from old to new compliant packaging and labeling for SB 1494. The package will include the following:
  - Document Guide that outlines old vs. new packaging and labeling requirements for both B2B and B2C
  - Packaging and Labeling Mockups
Supplemental Document Change Order Guidance:
- A list of operational documents and topics that may be indirectly affected when implementing new testing protocols
Compliant Testing Related Policies and Procedures Templates to include:
- Acquiring Marijuana or Marijuana Products from other dispensaries
- Providing Marijuana or Marijuana Products to another dispensary
- Collecting Marijuana or Marijuana Product Samples for Testing
- Submitting Marijuana or Marijuana Products to a Lab
- Recordkeeping for Testing Results
- Remediation Process for Failed Marijuana or Marijuana Products o Disposing of Unusable Marijuana that have failed testing
- Dispensing and Distributing Testing Materials

This package is available in two ways: 1) A DIY style where you utilize the package to implement changes to your operations – OR- 2) Custom Solutions where our consultants will assist you with the implementation.