Page 42 - SFHN March 2018

Dear Readers:
South Florida Hospital News & Healthcare Report welcomes you to
Cannabis News Florida, a feature of our print publication, website and
e-newsletters. Its purpose is to provide pertinent educational information from
leading authorities about medical and business developments in the medical cannabis
industry. We also provide both national and international information
which will affect the medical cannabis business in the State of Florida.

EVIO Labs First Cannabis Lab to

Obtain ISO 17025 Accreditation Florida Health Upgrades

Medical Marijuana Use Registry
It wasn't so long ago that Florida did not have any
lab testing regulations for the medical cannabis
market. Now, EVIO Labs, a life sciences company To Streamline Photo
focused on analyzing cannabis as a means for
improving quality of life, has opened a lab in
Broward County, with another opening scheduled Submission Process
for Gainesville in March. EVIO Labs is one of the
nation's leading providers of accredited cannabis
testing, research, and consulting services; and more The Florida Department of Health is committed to ensuring qualified
importantly, it has become the first cannabis labora- patients have safe, reliable access to low-THC cannabis and medical
tory in Florida to obtain ISO 17025 accreditation. marijuana. In an effort to better serve patients, the department is stream-
ISO 17025 is the highest-recognized quality stan- lining the medical marijuana identification card application process.
dard in the world for calibration and testing labora- The department's Office of Medical Marijuana Use has made changes
tories. In order for an organization to be accredited to the Medical Marijuana Use Registry that eliminate the need for
in ISO 17025, its laboratory must be able to consis- patients to submit a passport-style photograph if they have a Florida
tently produce precise and accurate tests, and must Christopher Martinez issued driver's license or identification card. Instead, when a qualified
have implemented a rigorous quality management ordering physician enters a patient into the Medical Marijuana Use
system. Registry, the registry will automatically access the patient's Florida
Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, Inc. (PJLA) provided the certification, fol- Driver's License or Florida identification card photograph directly from
lowing a complete review of EVIO Labs' quality management system, along with its the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (HSMV) system.
capability to perform potency and contaminant testing for cannabis products. This photo will be populated in the patient's online identification card
Laboratories that achieve this accreditation have shown they have the proper tools, application. Passport-style photographs will still need to be submitted
equipment and staff in place to provide accurate testing; they are performing at the for those applicants who are not in the HSMV system.
highest standard; and they can convey confidence to end-users that the test results The department has identified photos as being a common area of error
they receive are reliable. in the application process and as a priority issue for streamlining. The
The Florida Department of Health decrees that tests on medical cannabis be per- approval process for patient identification card applications can be
formed by an independent, third-party laboratory to ensure the products are safe for delayed due to the submission of photographs that do not meet the
human consumption. PJLA is a private organization, offering third-party accreditation statutory requirements. Currently, the processing time for paper applica-
services for testing and calibration laboratories, and is committed to meeting and tions is 26 days, and the processing time for online applications is 18
exceeding the requirements and expectations of its clients in the quality of the serv- days. This patient-centered upgrade will make the application process
ices it provides. It is a fully recognized accreditation body by the International more efficient and easier on patients and caregivers.
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, and by the Asia Pacific Laboratory
Accreditation Cooperation, to provide testing and calibration accreditation services. For more information about the Office of Medical Marijuana Use and the
According to EVIO Labs co-founder and president Chris Martinez, patient safety is Medical Marijuana Use Registry, visit www.flhealth.gov/ommu
the company's first priority, along with the ability to ensure that it provides clean and
safe cannabis for Florida. In addition, EVIO Labs has some of the most advanced tech-
nology in the industry, which enables it to quickly produce results, frequently within
24 hours.

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42 March 2018 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News