Section 1200.60  Laboratory Approval

a)         No laboratory shall handle, test or analyze hemp unless approved by the Department in accordance with this Section.  A list of approved laboratories will be made available by the Department on its website.

b)         No laboratory shall be approved to handle, test or analyze cannabis unless the laboratory:

1)         Is accredited to the ISO/IEX 17025 standard by a private non-profit laboratory accrediting organization;

2)         Is independent from all other persons involved in the hemp industry in Illinois, which shall mean that no person with a direct or indirect interest in the laboratory shall have a direct or indirect financial, management, or other interest in a cultivation license or processor registration;

3)         Has employed at least one person to oversee and be responsible for the laboratory testing who has earned, from a college or university accredited by a national or regional certifying authority, at least:

A)        a master's level degree in chemical or biological sciences and a minimum of 2 years post-degree laboratory experience; or

B)        a bachelor's degree in biological sciences and a minimum of 4 years post-degree laboratory experience.

c)         Each independent testing laboratory that claims to be accredited must provide the Department with a copy of the most recent annual inspection report granting accreditation and every annual report thereafter.