How North Coast Testing Laboratories Passed a State Compliance Check With Flying Colors

New State Rules the Old NVRs Couldn’t Meet

North Coast Testing Laboratories tests cannabis for state compliance, making sure products are safe and accurately labeled for cannabinoid content, terpene content, and other meaningful details. In an industry this regulated, security is part of compliance. Adam Scavone, Compliance Director and General Counsel, is responsible for the laboratory’s adherence to state regulations, including stringent security and surveillance requirements.

Those requirements changed. The rapid expansion of the Ohio cannabis program and the legalization of adult-use marijuana introduced new security regulations, including remote access for state regulators via a public-facing website. The lab’s existing Hikvision NVRs could not meet them.

The stakes were the business itself. “Our existing systems were not handling new regulatory requirements, and we were at risk of losing our ability to operate in the recreational market, which would have been catastrophic for our business,” Scavone explained.

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Compliance First, With AI Search as the Differentiator

North Coast evaluated several options against two tests: meet the new regulatory criteria, and offer advanced features on top. Coram AI answered both. The onboarding itself was atypical — an issue with the lab’s legacy infrastructure had the Coram team on the phone for over 10 hours with North Coast’s implementation team as they narrowed down the issue together — and it ended with the compliance check passed.

Coram stood out for a few specific reasons:

• Regulatory compliance: Remote access through a public-facing website, so state regulators can log in easily
• AI-enhanced search: The significant differentiator, promising to streamline operations and enhance security
• A clean, intuitive interface: Navigation and monitoring that are straightforward for the team
• Web-based access: No more cumbersome IP address logins; remote access is simple
• A team that stays on the line: Over 10 hours of joint troubleshooting to work past a legacy infrastructure issue

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Regulatory Approval, and Security That Goes Beyond the Checklist

North Coast Testing Laboratories passed its compliance check with the state regulator, securing its ability to operate in both the medical and recreational markets. The new system met all regulatory requirements, so operations continued without interruption. And the advanced features that set Coram apart during the evaluation are now part of daily work. “The facial recognition feature is pretty wild and adds a significant layer of security,” Scavone noted.

What North Coast Testing Laboratories Is Doing with Coram

• Staying compliant: Meeting the state’s security and surveillance requirements, with regulator access built in.
• Giving regulators a simple login: State regulators reach the system remotely through a public-facing website.
• Searching video with AI: AI-enhanced search streamlines security operations and makes monitoring and reporting more efficient.
• Adding layers of security: Facial recognition and motion detection zones strengthen security and operational oversight.
• Working from a web-based interface: Reliable remote access without IP address logins, backed by responsive support.

The team’s feedback has been positive across the board: an intuitive interface, reliable remote access, enhanced security features, and support that responds when it’s needed. For a lab whose ability to operate depends on getting security right, that combination has been a game-changer.

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