Steep Hill, the company that started the first cannabis testing laboratory in the United States, today announced their expansion into Vermont. Their licensee, Steep Hill Vermont, is the first lab in the state to receive pre-approval from the state, according to a press release.
The leadership team is made up of CEO Kos Parulekar, Dr. Mark Scialdone, chief scientist and Callie Chapman, who will be the lab director. Parulekar previously held management roles at General Electric and The World Bank.
Dr. Scialdone will be speaking at the Cannabis Quality Conference & Expo. Click here to learn more. Dr. Scialdone worked at DuPont for eighteen years before joining the cannabis industry and becoming an expert in plant oil extraction, analysis and natural product chemistry. Dr. Scialdone is a member of the ASTM D37 cannabis committee, the NCIA testing policy working group and is a founding member of the cannabis chemistry subdivision at ACS. “We chose to partner with Steep Hill because of their breadth of experience from opening multiple cannabis testing labs across the country that are considered the gold standard for quality results, rapid turnaround time, and impeccable customer service,” says Dr. Scialdone. “Vermont has long had the status of the Humboldt County of the East having a long tradition in cannabis, so opening a testing lab here makes sense on many levels.”
Chapman is a chemical engineer who previously worked for Autumn Harp as their head of cannabis product development. “Working with the State of Vermont, our laboratory plans to expand cannabis testing services, while offering quick turnaround times and educational resources for cultivators, manufacturers, and other industry participants,” says Chapman. “Our goal is to be a key partner in the success of the Green Mountain State’s adult use market and continue to grow our industry.”
Just a few months ago, in December of 2021, Steep Hill announced their expansion into Illinois. In March of 2019, the company expanded into New Jersey through their partnership with Green Analytics East.
I believe Bia Diagnostics is the first lab in Vermont to be given preliminary approval for Cannabis testing. We are the first lab to be certified by the State of VT to test for Hemp and all the possible contaminants, including heavy metals, residual solvents, mycotoxins, pesticides, as well as CBD, THC and their derivatives. We are on the AOAC CASP (Cannabis Analytical Science Program) committee, active members of AEIC and IFT and various other organizations. We are an ISO17025 laboratory and AOAC and FDA compliant.