As Lyon County deputies seized 3,500 pounds of marijuana from an illegal growing operation last week, the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board seized the opportunity to field test a new piece of equipment.
An $18,000 portable “light lab” processed samples of marijuana, spitting out answers about the chemical content of the drug, giving law enforcement results within 15 minutes.
“It’s invaluable to us,” said CCB executive director James Humm. “It’s invaluable to the agencies that want us to join them on these operations so that they’re able to really test it on-site as opposed to having to take a sample and send it off (to a laboratory).”
A CCB employee involved in the operation explained that knowing the chemical content of a marijuana product helps law enforcement assess the risks they face while collecting evidence. If a product turns out to have low THC content – the psychoactive component of cannabis – it might even send the drug over to another agency, saving law enforcement money.
“There’s a lot of cost that goes into getting everyone together, having a chain of command and a plan to execute, whatever that may be,” the employee said. “But if it’s hemp, it’s hemp, and it’s a much lower risk, and other agencies can take care of it.”
The CCB executive director added that he’d like to remind consumers to purchase marijuana products from licensed facilities only.
“These illicit grows can lead to some dangerous things that could potentially appear on the market, so again, just a reminder, if you are going to consume, please do it through one of our regulated and licensed dispensaries,” he said.
Lyon County Deputies were able to use a massive marijuana seizure last week to field test a new piece of equipment. Read More