Washington: Some pot labs testing for safety and QA fail no pot at all

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/marijuana/some-pot-labs-in-state-failed-no-pot-at-all-says-scientist/

"Some state-certified marijuana labs testing for microbes such as E. coli and mold appear more friendly to pot merchants than others, according to an analysis by a Woodinville data scientist.

Four labs rejected none of the pot they tested over a three-month period last year, according to the analysis by Jim MacRae. Four other labs failed more than 12 percent of samples tested over the same time, with two labs rejecting 44 percent of samples for microbes.

“It’s almost impossible for that to happen,” said David Lampach, co-founder of Steep Hill Labs in Tukwila, of the disparity."

Read the entire story.

Interesting article. One connection it fails to make is that the microbial standards set by the state are virtually impossible to meet if labs strictly follow the WSLCB rules. When developing the microbial standards, the state relied on consultation that was inadequate and wrong. They put forward a limit on microbial counts that was developed for food products that aren't relevant to marijuana flower. Now, just the presence of benign bread molds and other latent microbes will cause a failure. The larger concerns specific to quality of marijuana, bud mold and powdery mildew, are not specifically singled out as they should. The microbial limits set by the state should be 10x higher than where they stand now. The blame should be put more on the flawed standards set by the state than to labs trying to 'make this work'.
In the end, I don't think these flawed microbial tests are even worth performing unless perhaps if used for a true 'medical grade' product. It is not as if the lack of this testing in the previous medical and black market has resulted in anyone getting sick. I would also say in a legal market where all products lots are identified to the producer, there is already a natural filter in that if the retailer or consumer finds a moldy bud in a bag, they will never buy from this grower again.