![Part of a battery of equipment to analyze medical pot. [ Northcoast Environmental Laboratories]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6a3c417/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2250+0+0/resize/840x630!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F12%2F14%2FStreetsboro%20Pot%20Lab.jpg)
Ohio鈥檚 budding medical marijuana industry takes another step towards production this week. State regulators will inspect a Northeast Ohio facility slated to test the product that local farmers cultivate.
North Coast Environmental Laboratories in Streetsboro built its reputation on soil sampling and water testing over the past 25 years, but spokesman Joe Moorhead said he expects the pot trade will double the company鈥檚 operation.
鈥淲e鈥檝e built an additional lab space onto our existing lab,鈥� said Moorhead. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fairly large and everything鈥檚 brand new. It鈥檒l be a whole new business for us.鈥�
That business will be concerned with running tests on the cultivated plants.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be testing cannabis and cannabis products for microbial toxins, pesticides, moisture level, heavy metal testing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 basically to make sure that the cannabis product that鈥檚 put on the shelves is clean.鈥�
Moorhead said the state inspectors will be examining the new machinery, as well as cameras and other security equipment. Once the lab passes muster, he expects the facility to be operational by early January.
