Maryland Cannabis Administration Receives ISO and IEC Laboratory Accreditation
The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) is proud to announce that its cannabis reference laboratory received accreditation from the International Organization Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), an international standard that delineates the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. ISO/IEC recognition of MCA as an accredited laboratory aligns with industry trends and prepares the cannabis reference laboratory for further federal regulatory changes.
“The ISO/IEO lab accreditation is a significant milestone for the MCA,” said Tabatha Robinson, Director. “This accreditation achievement signifies that MCA cannabis reference laboratory has established a quality management system that ensures impartiality, confidentiality, and competence via structured laboratory procedures and comprehensive documentation.”
ISO/IEC accreditation provides a third-party assessment of MCA’s quality management system and review of the laboratory validation as well as verification studies for chosen methods compliant with the MCA Technical Authority for Cannabis Testing (TA) requirements. With this accreditation expansion, the lab can began testing hemp samples from unlicensed vendors for the Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission (ATCC). ISO/IEC standard necessitates that the cannabis reference laboratory institute a quality management system to cultivate confidence in its operations through the planning and execution of actions designed to address risks and opportunities.
In 2024, MCA established the state reference laboratory, the first reference laboratory in the country dedicated exclusively to cannabis oversight and managed by a state cannabis regulatory agency and in March 2025, implemented a quality management system.
MCA’s lab achieved ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation from the International Accreditation Service (IAS) on April 22, 2025, for the quality management system, and included on the scope of testing potency and moisture analysis after an initial assessment on April 11, 2025.
Following successful verification and validation studies, the lab expanded its scope of accreditation to include microbiological tests, residual solvents, water activity, and heavy metals testing. The scope of testing was approved by IAS on April 8, 2026.