Massachusetts authorities are investigating how marijuana samples bearing labels from a Biddeford dispensary ended up in a Framingham testing lab.

According to WBZ-TV, three months ago, police in Framingham found hundreds of vials of marijuana and THC products in a dumpster behind MCR Labs, a facility that tests marijuana products. Some were labeled “Canuvo,” the name of a medical marijuana dispensary in Biddeford. The station said it’s possible the vials were improperly thrown out, and that federal laws barring interstate shipment and mailing of marijuana may have been violated.

Sage Peterson, the chief executive officer of Canuvo, told the news outlet that she sent the samples of marijuana to MCR Labs because the lab her dispensary usually uses wasn’t able to process them. Peterson said she wanted to make sure the company’s marijuana products were safe.

A call and email seeking comment from Peterson weren’t returned Friday.

As of December, Maine had two independent cannabis labs: ProVerde Labs, which opened a new Portland lab in November, and Tested Labs in Kennebunk. More labs are expected to open once Maine sets mandatory potency and safety tests for marijuana when the state’s recreational market launches, expected later this year.

Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission told WBZ it was investigating the vials found in the dumpster in January.  The commission oversees implementation of Massachusetts’ marijuana laws, including licensing of testing facilities.

Early Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the commission confirmed for the Portland Press Herald that the “the disposal practices of MCR Labs” remain under investigation. The spokesperson said that the commission had no further comment because the investigation is continuing.

Maine and federal laws do not allow the transfer of marijuana across state lines, said David Heidrich, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services, which includes the state’s Office of Marijuana Policy.

Heidrich said the state learned of the reports about the marijuana samples from media reports Friday. He declined to say whether Maine officials are investigating the incident.

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