Washington Administrative Code › Title 16 - Agriculture, Department of (See also Titles 24, 60, and 142) › SEEDS AND PLANTING STOCK CERTIFICATION › Chapter 16-310 - Accreditation of cannabis laboratories › Section 16-310-030 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
"Accreditation" means the formal recognition by the
				  department that a cannabis laboratory is capable of producing accurate and
				  defensible analytical data. This recognition is signified by the issuance of a
				  written accreditation letter, accompanied by a scope of accreditation
				  indicating the parameters for which the laboratory is accredited.
"Accreditation year" means the one-year period as stated on
				  the letter of accreditation.
"Analyte" means the constituent or property of a sample
				  measured using an analytical method.
"Analytical data" means the recorded qualitative and/or
				  quantitative results of a chemical, physical, biological, microbiological,
				  radiochemical, or other scientific determination.
"Analytical method" means a written procedure for acquiring
				  analytical data.
"Audit" means an inspection and evaluation of laboratory
				  methods, instrumentation, facilities, equipment, records, and staff.
"Board" means the Washington state liquor and cannabis board.
				  "Cannabis laboratory" or "laboratory" means a facility:
(a) Under the ownership and technical
				management of a single entity in a single geographical location;
(b) Where scientific determinations are
				performed on samples taken from cannabis plants and products; and
(c) Where data is submitted to the customer
				or regulatory agency, or other entity requiring the use of an accredited
				laboratory under provisions of a regulation, permit, or contractual
				agreement.
"Data pack" means documentation created that supports each
				  sample collected and sent to the laboratory for testing to include, but not
				  limited to, any and all chain of custodies, manifests, worksheets, testing data
				  including repeat testing, calibration data, quality control data, final report
				  to customer, and any document created or received for that sample from time of
				  receipt to disposal of sample.
"Data traceability" or "traceability" means the ability to
				  recreate the final result by means of records.
(a) Records must be an unbroken trail of
				accountability for verifying or validating the chain of custody of samples, the
				data, the documentation of a procedure, certificates of analysis, and the
				values of a standard.
(b) This
				unbroken trail begins upon receipt of the samples at the laboratory.
"Department" means the state of Washington department of
				  agriculture.
"Good standing" means the laboratory has met all its
				  obligations to the state to remain certified by the board such as passing
				  proficiency testing, current with any and all payments required, current with
				  all accreditation requirements, and has no outstanding obligations to the
				  board.
"Interlaboratory comparison" means a method used in quality
				  control to evaluate the consistency and accuracy of test results across
				  multiple laboratories. It involves sending sample replicates to different labs
				  and comparing the results to identify discrepancies or variations.
"Matrix" means the material to be analyzed including, but not
				  limited to, flower, trim, leaves, other plant matter, cannabis concentrate,
				  cannabis infused, and edibles.
"Parameter" means the combination of one or more analytes
				  determined by a specific analytical method.
"Precision" means the closeness of agreement between
				  independent test results obtained under specified conditions. This is described
				  by statistical methods such as a standard deviation (SD), coefficient of
				  variation (CV), or confidence limit of test results.
"Proficiency testing (PT)" means evaluation of the results
				  from the analysis of samples, the true values of which are known to the
				  supplier of the samples but unknown to the laboratory conducting the
				  analyses.
"Proficiency testing provider" means a third-party company,
				  organization, or entity not associated with certified laboratories or a
				  laboratory seeking accreditation that is approved by the department and
				  provides samples for use in PT testing.
"Quality assurance (QA) manual" means a written record
				  intended to assure the reliability of measurement data. A QA manual documents
				  policies, organization, objectives, and specific QC and QA activities.
"Quality control (QC)" means the routine application of
				  statistically based procedures to evaluate and control the accuracy of
				  analytical results.
"Regular business hours" means the time frame during which
				  the laboratory conducts testing or normal business. Should a laboratory have
				  multiple shifts to conduct testing, normal business hours would include these
				  shifts.
"Sample" means a representative portion of material taken
				  from a larger quantity of homogenate for the purpose of examination or
				  analysis, which can be used for judging the quality of a larger quantity for
				  the purpose of compliance.
"Standard operating procedures (SOP)" means a written
				  document that details the method for an operation, analysis, or action with
				  thoroughly prescribed techniques and steps, and that is officially approved as
				  the method for performing certain routine or repetitive tasks.
"Validation" means the process of demonstrating or confirming
				  the performance characteristics through assessments of data quality indicators
				  for a method of analysis.