Alaska draft rule would end in-house marijuana testing by growers, manufacturers and stores

Alaska marijuana growers and manufacturers would lose the option to test their own products in-house under a draft rule from the state Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. The draft repeals the code sections that let standard cultivation facilities and manufacturers test their own crops on site. It also strikes the exemption that lets establishments testing only their own crops, products or retail stock skip third-party testing rules.

The department says the project "simplifies regulations by removing mentions of in house testing," reducing regulatory burden. The required batch testing before sale already goes to licensed marijuana testing facilities, and state rules already require a testing facility license to provide testing services or results to anyone else. In-house testing is defined separately, as lab work that does not meet those facilities' standards.

The repeal counts toward Administrative Order 360, Gov. Mike Dunleavy's August 2025 order to cut state regulatory requirements 15 percent by the end of 2026. The board's spreadsheet explains the change in two words: "1. Reduction."

The Marijuana Control Board's Sept. 2-3 agenda listed the draft for discussion, below the projects the Department of Law has already cleared for public comment. Nothing has been adopted, and the repeal dates in the version carrying effective dates are still blank. The board's next regular meeting is Nov. 18-19 in Anchorage.