Anresco Laboratories and Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs have dropped their lawsuit against 13 competing labs they accused of manipulating marijuana test results to attract business, MJBizDaily reports.
The two California-based labs voluntarily withdrew their complaint on August 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, according to court records. Josh Swider, co-founder and CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs, confirmed to MJBizDaily that they intend to refile the lawsuit soon. “We stand by our claims and plan to file a new complaint in the near future,” Swider stated via email.
Swider’s lab has been in the spotlight recently due to its role in uncovering pesticide contamination in California’s cannabis market. Infinite Chemical Analysis and Anresco were among the labs that reported the presence of illegal pesticides in cannabis products sold in the state, triggering recalls by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC).
In June, an investigation by WeedWeek and the Los Angeles Times exposed widespread contamination issues, leading to several product recalls, most involving the pesticide chlorfenapyr. The crisis has caused tensions between labs, cannabis brands, retailers, and regulators, undermining confidence in the state’s regulated marijuana market.
In the original lawsuit filed on June 24, Anresco and Infinite claimed that the 13 labs inflated potency results and ignored contaminants in their certificates of analysis (COAs), putting consumers at risk.
One of the defendants, BelCosta Labs CEO Myron Ronay, defended his lab’s testing methods, arguing that the plaintiffs didn’t test the same products and accusing them of filing “frivolous” claims. Spencer Wong, CEO of Encore Labs, also questioned the credibility of the lawsuit, noting that the allegations rely on the plaintiffs’ testing results, not official findings from the DCC. Wong stated his lab is prepared to defend itself if the lawsuit is refiled.
