The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) will launch a pilot program in October to compare cannabinoid testing results from Maryland-licensed cannabis laboratories.
The Maryland CSQ CLEAR Pilot Program will examine testing of cannabis flower products across five laboratories: four MCA-registered independent testing laboratories and the MCA Office of Laboratory Services reference laboratory.
The pilot will assess agreement between laboratories, repeatability within individual laboratories and differences between current test results and product label claims and original certificates of analysis (COAs).
MCA will anonymize the findings and use the pilot for informational purposes. The program will not impose punitive consequences based on the results.
Cannabis Safety & Quality (CSQ) developed the CLEAR Program to identify potential testing manipulation and fraud associated with what the company describes as “lab shopping.” The program uses a modified P-BAT approach and statistical analysis to examine testing results.
“We created the CSQ CLEAR Program as a more cost-effective, robust, transparent and iterative approach to solving the problem of ‘lab shopping’ than what is currently available,” said Darwin Millard, Technical Director at CSQ. “The pilot we are conducting in Maryland with the MCA, will provide a proof of concept the CSQ CLEAR Program is a reliable model that can be replicated in other states.”
CSQ said previous studies have found THC levels inflated by as much as 25% in some legal cannabis markets. The CLEAR Program will examine differences in reported THC levels as part of its assessment of cannabis testing data.
“MCA has always had a strong focus on ensuring cannabis product quality in Maryland. The CSQ CLEAR Pilot program provides us an opportunity to measure our efforts industry-wide and adjust if necessary,” said Tabatha Robinson, Director of MCA. “This sort of agency and industry transparency is key to helping this market grow responsibly.”
The first round of testing will begin in October 2026. CSQ and MCA expect to compile and release the results in December.
