Tag Archives: Patient Focused Certification

Americans for Safe Access Accredited to ISO 17065

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff
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Late last week, the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) granted ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation to Americans for Safe Access (ASA). This is the first accreditation ever issued to a product certification body in the cannabis market.

ASA is a member-based organization founded in 2002 that seeks to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis for medical purposes and research. Back in 2016, A2LA and ASA partnered on a collaboration to develop the Patient Focused Certification (PFC) program.

What started as a supplement to ISO 17025 for cannabis testing labs to demonstrate a dedication to patient safety, has grown into a more comprehensive certification and consulting program that offers training, business services, company certifications. With the ISO 17065 accreditation, ASA can now deliver PFC certifications that confidently identify reliable and high-quality medical cannabis products, business and services.

Jonathan Fuhrman, program manager at A2LA, says this is a big milestone for ASA’s platform. “ISO/IEC 17065 and product certification can play a decisive role in the evolution of cannabis as medicine,” says Fuhrman. “With its high standards for competence and impartiality, adopting ISO/IEC 17065 represents a major win for healthcare providers and patients.”

Heather Despres, the director of ASA’s Patient Focused Certification program, says she is thrilled to be the first cannabis compliance organization to attain the accreditation. “The PFC program was developed by ASA in an effort to continue our commitment to protect patients, many of whom are medically fragile, and consumers who may be seeking medicine outside of conventional medicinal channels,” says Despres. “There is no other process that can demonstrate that continued commitment more than achieving ISO 17065 accreditation.”

Stillwater Labs Accredited to ISO/IEC 17025

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff
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The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) announced earlier this month the accreditation of Stillwater Laboratories, Inc. to ISO/IEC 17025. Based in Olney, Montana, Stillwater Labs is the first laboratory A2LA has accredited to the ISO 17025 standard in the state. 

According to a press release, Stillwater is also the first in the state to go through a dual assessment, a new program put in place Fall of 2018. Both ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation and Americans for Safe Access (ASA) Patient Focused Certification were obtained by the lab. Stillwater achieved the recently updated ISO 17025:2017 accreditation.

“Stillwater Labs is honored to achieve ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation” says Dr. Ron Brost, laboratory director Stillwater. “Quality methods are the cornerstone of our operations, and accreditation through the A2LA has been a valuable developmental process. We used the opportunity to refine, clarify, and tune our systems in order to bring world-class analytics to our clients in Montana. We look forward to continuing to drive advanced technologies coupled with excellent customer service through ISO/IEC 17025 best practices.”