The Cannabis Lab Testing Crisis: Oregon's Inflated THC Scores & Growing Regulatory Challenges
Despite many U.S. states legalizing cannabis for medicinal or recreational use, the absence of federal legalization means oversight is left to the states. That includes testing for THC potency and contaminants—tasks now more critical than ever. A recent OPB report highlights a troubling trend emerging in Oregon: independent labs reporting inflated THC values and even approving products with safety issues
What Undark and OPB Reveal
Undark science magazine uncovered a pattern: in Oregon and other states, certain private laboratories appear to inflate THC potency figures—sometimes by large margins—to please clients and boost business. They also flagged testing failures for contaminants like mold and pesticides. The OPB article quotes senior Undark contributor Teresa Carr, pointing to the risks these practices pose for public safety and industry credibility
Why Is This Happening?
In many states, cannabis businesses engage in "lab shopping"—sending samples to multiple testing facilities and choosing reports that return the highest THC numbers. Industry insiders report that labs that deliver those results tend to grow rapidly in market share, while more accurate labs lose business Yasha Kahn, a data scientist at MCR Labs, analyzed open‑record data from several states, estimating that up to 30% of labs are reporting false results—yet they test a majority of products
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