Fla. Stat. § 381.988 — Florida Code / Title XXIX / Chapter 381 / Section 381.988
381.988 Medical marijuana testing laboratories; marijuana tests conducted by a certified laboratory.
Status: in_force

(1) A person or entity seeking to be a certified marijuana testing laboratory must: (a) Not be owned or controlled by a medical marijuana treatment center. (b) Submit a completed application accompanied by an application fee, as established by department rule. (c) Submit proof of an accreditation or a certification approved by the department issued by an accreditation or a certification organization approved by the department. The department shall adopt by rule a list of approved laboratory accreditations or certifications and accreditation or certification organizations. 2 (d) Require all employees, owners, and managers to submit to and pass a level 2 background screening pursuant to chapter 435. The department shall deny certification if the person or entity seeking certification has a disqualifying offense as provided in s. 435.04 or has an arrest awaiting final disposition for, has been found guilty of, or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any offense listed in chapter 837, chapter 895, or chapter 896 or similar law of another jurisdiction. Exemptions from disqualification as provided under s. 435.07 do not apply to this paragraph. 1. As used in this paragraph, the term: a. “Employee” means any person whose duties or activities involve any aspect of regulatory compliance testing or research and development testing of marijuana for a certified marijuana testing laboratory, regardless of whether such person is compensated for his or her work. b. “Manager” means any person with authority to exercise or contribute to the operational control, direction, or management of an applicant or certified marijuana testing laboratory or who has authority to supervise any employee of an applicant or a certified marijuana testing laboratory. The term includes an individual with the power or authority to direct or influence the direction or operation of an applicant or a certified marijuana testing laboratory through board membership, an agreement, or a contract. c. “Owner” means any person who owns or controls a 5 percent or greater share of interests of the applicant or a certified marijuana testing laboratory which include beneficial or voting rights to interests. In the event that one person owns a beneficial right to interests and another person holds the voting rights with respect to such interests, then in such case, both are considered the owner of such interests. 2. Such employees, owners, and managers must submit a full set of fingerprints to the department or to a vendor, entity, or agency authorized by s. 943.053(13). The department, vendor, entity, or agency shall forward the fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for national processing. 3. Fees for state and federal fingerprint processing and retention must be borne by the certified marijuana testing laboratory. The state cost for fingerprint processing is as provided in s. 943.053(3)(e) for records provided to persons or entities other than those specified as exceptions therein. 4. Fingerprints submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement pursuant to this paragraph must be retained by the Department of Law Enforcement as provided in s. 943.05(2)(g) and (h) and, when the Department of Law Enforcement begins participation in the program, enrolled in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s national retained print arrest notification program. Any arrest record identified must be reported to the department. (e) Demonstrate to the department the capability of meeting the standards for certification required by this subsection, and the testing requirements of s. 381.986 and this section and rules adopted thereunder.

(2) The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 establishing a procedure for initial certification and biennial renewal, including initial application and biennial renewal fees sufficient to cover the costs of administering this certification program. The department shall renew the certification biennially if the laboratory meets the requirements of this section and pays the biennial renewal fee.

(3) The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 establishing the standards for certification of marijuana testing laboratories under this section. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Department of Environmental Protection shall assist the department in developing the rule, which must include, but is not limited to: (a) Security standards. (b) Minimum standards for personnel. (c) Sample collection method and process standards. (d) Proficiency testing for tetrahydrocannabinol potency, concentration of cannabidiol, and contaminants unsafe for human consumption, as determined by department rule. (e) Reporting content, format, and frequency. (f) Audits and onsite inspections. (g) Quality assurance. (h) Equipment and methodology. (i) Chain of custody. (j) Any other standard the department deems necessary to ensure the health and safety of the public.

(4) A marijuana testing laboratory may acquire marijuana only from a medical marijuana treatment center. A marijuana testing laboratory is prohibited from selling, distributing, or transferring marijuana received from a marijuana treatment center, except that a marijuana testing laboratory may transfer a sample to another marijuana testing laboratory in this state.

(5) A marijuana testing laboratory must properly dispose of all samples it receives, unless transferred to another marijuana testing laboratory, after all necessary tests have been conducted and any required period of storage has elapsed, as established by department rule.

(6) A marijuana testing laboratory shall use the computer software tracking system selected by the department under s. 381.986.

(7) The following acts constitute grounds for which disciplinary action specified in subsection (8) may be taken against a certified marijuana testing laboratory: (a) Permitting unauthorized persons to perform technical procedures or issue reports. (b) Demonstrating incompetence or making consistent errors in the performance of testing or erroneous reporting. (c) Performing a test and rendering a report thereon to a person or entity not authorized by law to receive such services. (d) Failing to file any report required under this section or s. 381.986 or the rules adopted thereunder. (e) Reporting a test result if the test was not performed. (f) Failing to correct deficiencies within the time required by the department. (g) Violating or aiding and abetting in the violation of any provision of s. 381.986 or this section or any rules adopted thereunder.

(8) The department may refuse to issue or renew, or may suspend or revoke, the certification of a marijuana testing laboratory that is found to be in violation of this section or any rules adopted hereunder. The department may impose fines for violations of this section or rules adopted thereunder, based on a schedule adopted in rule. In determining the administrative action to be imposed for a violation, the department must consider the following factors: (a) The severity of the violation, including the probability of death or serious harm to the health or safety of any person that may result or has resulted; the severity or potential harm; and the extent to which s. 381.986 or this section was violated. (b) The actions taken by the marijuana testing laboratory to correct the violation or to remedy the complaint. (c) Any previous violation by the marijuana testing laboratory. (d) The financial benefit to the marijuana testing laboratory of committing or continuing the violation.

(9) The department may adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this section.

(10) Fees collected by the department under this section shall be deposited in the Grants and Donations Trust Fund within the Department of Health.

History: ss. 1, 6, ch. 2017-232; s. 30, ch. 2018-10; s. 40, ch. 2019-116; s. 32, ch. 2020-114; s. 14, ch. 2021-37; s. 5, ch. 2023-9; s. 3, ch. 2023-71; s. 5, ch. 2025-114.