AMMP Reforms As The Evergreen State Cannabis Trade Alliance

SEATTLE, Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Medical Marijuana Producers and Processors (AMMP) today announced that it has been restructured as the Evergreen State Cannabis Trade Alliance. The reorganization enables the Alliance to enhance AMMP's existing set of safety standards – designed to ensure that qualifying medical patients have access to the safest cannabis in the United States – for a wider consumer base under Washington State Initiative 502.

Marijuana certified under the AMMP was originally labeled as Patient Ready Cannabis™. Under the Alliance, Patient Ready Cannabis™ continues to meet rigid safety standards and is independently verified free of salt buildup, heavy metals, residual pesticides, residual fungicides and herbicides. Alliance regulations also stipulate strict maximum levels for additional environmental contaminants such as animal hair, ensuring that qualifying medical patients have access to the safest cannabis available. Under I-502, the Alliance's set of standards can easily be adopted to ensure adults age 21 and over have access to the same quality of contaminant-free marijuana.

Under I-502, legal cannabis will be grown by specially-licensed Washington growers and sold in standalone, marijuana-only stores operated by private Washington distributor businesses licensed and regulated by the state Liquor Control Board. But official safety guidelines for cannabis cultivation and processing do not yet exist, so as the State begins to adopt, implement and formalize quality control policies for the new cannabis industry, Alliance representatives – who are already familiar with developing quality control measures for medical cannabis producers – will be available to provide strategic insight and feedback.

"We already have an existing set of rigid standards, designed to ensure medical marijuana patients have access to the safest cannabis on the market," said Muraco Kyashna-tocha, president of the Evergreen State Cannabis Trade Alliance and founder of the Green Buddha Patient Co-op. "Many of these patients have compromised immune systems, and quality control is absolutely critical to their well-being. For example, even within the past few weeks, a team from National Jewish Health in Colorado found mold levels at 100 times higher than what is considered safe in a number of cannabis growing facilities. In Washington State, our standards have a proven history of preventing mold spores and other contaminants from tainting Patient Ready Cannabis™, and can be easily adopted by the State or other organizations for a broader consumer base under I-502."

Patient Ready Cannabis™ Certification and Alliance Membership

Medical cannabis producers – interested in Patient Ready Cannabis™ certification – are encouraged to join the Evergreen State Cannabis Trade Alliance as Members and attend meetings. Producers must also agree to submit batches of cannabis for testing, and grant the Alliance Standards Committee permission to review results.

Additional information on Patient Ready Cannabis™ and Alliance safety standards is available online.

About the Evergreen State Cannabis Trade Alliance

The Evergreen State Cannabis Trade Alliance, formerly known as the Association of Medical Marijuana Producers and Processors (AMMP), is a Washington State based non-profit trade association, committed to developing cannabis and medical cannabis safety standards and best practices. The organization provides third party testing, certification and trademarking, so that authorized users of medical marijuana have access to the safest product available.

SOURCE Evergreen State Cannabis Trade Alliance

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