New Report Urges New York to Tighten Cannabis Testing and Recall Standards

A report from a New York cannabis industry trade group is calling on state regulators to strengthen its testing, tracking and recall standards for regulated cannabis products. The report from the Empire State Green Standard Alliance (GSA) stresses the importance of a statewide seed-to-sale tracking system to more effectively monitor events that would necessitate a recall and better target such regulatory action.

“Recalls do not indicate failure. They indicate responsibility,” the 12-page report reads. “They demonstrate the maturity of a regulatory system that is capable of identifying potential risks, responding decisively, and maintaining public confidence even in moments of uncertainty.”

First reported by Cultivated Media, the report identifies four situations that could justify a recall, including documentation failures caused by missing or inconsistent records, laboratory irregularities, unauthorized manufacturing, or gaps in traceability across the regulated supply chain.

“A recall system rooted in verification, transparency, and scientific rigor is essential to the long-term legitimacy of legalization,” the report states.

Report Urges Action From State Lawmakers

The GSA urged state lawmakers to amend cannabis regulations to formally establish recall procedures, update statutes authorizing product tracking, and expand laws governing laboratory testing to explicitly account for recalls.

Jayson Tantalo, owner of Flower City Dispensary and co-founder and vice president of operations of the New York Cannabis Retail Association, said the state needs stronger testing and recall standards for cannabis products.

“Recent recalls in New York have shown that products with noncompliant pesticides and out-of-state materials made it into the regulated supply, which is exactly the kind of risk testing and recall systems are meant to prevent,” Tantalo said in an emailed statement. “A robust, transparent testing and recall framework helps ensure that products on shelves are safe and reliably labeled, building confidence for patients and adult-use customers alike. Stronger standards, clear procedures, and verified data from labs will also help the state act quickly and consistently when issues arise.”

Tantalo added that tighter regulations would help address shortcomings in the current system.

“There have been credible reports of inconsistent lab results and allegations of inflated potency and questionable testing practices that undermine trust,” he said. “A licensed testing lab involved in a major recall exited the market amid an audit, revealing gaps in oversight and enforcement. The current system needs clearer statutory backing for recalls, stronger oversight of labs, and more transparency around tracking so regulators can trace and remove unsafe products more effectively.”