TAMPA, Fla. — Brandon will soon be home to the ninth hemp testing facility in the state. 

The new lab is an extension of Method Testing Labs in Tampa, which opened last year. 

Safety oversight for cannabis products is a profession that experts say is growing along with the industry. 

After nearly 100 new dispensaries opened in 2021, officials with the Cannabis Executive Council in Florida said the medicinal marijuana patient population continues to grow at approximately 2,500 patients per week.

Daniel Roettger began working as a lab director for Tampa's Method Testing Labs seven months ago.

The facility tests medicinal cannabis and hemp products before they hit the shelves.

"This is where all the prep happens when all the samples come into the lab," said Roettger. 

The first lab opened in May 2021 with nine employees. They are expanding by adding another lab in Brandon. 

"Being in Florida, it's still medicinal, however as soon as that opens up to recreational, it's gonna really start booming here," he said. 

What will soon follow is employment opportunities for young scientists with bachelors degrees in chemistry and biology. 

The lab's sample process is completely digital, which helps with their turnaround time. 

"We're using similar instrumentation than like a toxicology lab, or forensic lab," said Roettger. "All these instruments they would have, so its very transferable." 

In this newer and valuable sector of the cannabis industry, experts say finding someone with Roettger's experience is rare. 

"I've been doing cannabis testing for the last four years, which is pretty senior level in the cannabis industry because it's so new and so fresh," he said. 

Before that, he worked in the Bio Tech sector, but since making the switch he says he hasn't looked back. 

Just over a year ago, the California native packed everything and drove to Florida. ​

"I love Florida," said Roettger. "I moved here without visiting and know that I had a calling to come here."

Two weeks after moving, he got the call to work for Method Testing Labs. 

"Definitely a life-changing situation that I've been in, and it's been a dream," said Roettger. 

He first learned about and used medicinal marijuana when he was dealing with a chronic back injury. 

"It allowed me to overcome the severe pain," he said. "If I didn't hurt myself, getting into cannabis, it would be a long shot that I would be here today." 

Roettger said that is related to his upbringing in a military family — while growing up, he and his brothers were taught to stay away from marijuana because of the stigma. Now things have changed. 

He's now leading one of the few testing labs for medicinal marijuana in the state of Florida.

"Cannabis isn't what it used to be, it is a medicine," said Roettger. "It's changing people's lives. It's changing people's lives. It's helping people manage stress, anxiety, pain and suffering."

Along the way, he continues to educate the community about an industry that continues to grow. 

Method Testing Labs is looking for 30 more employees for their Brandon location.

The demand for labs and employees would increase with the legalization of recreation marijuana, however, the most recently proposed bill to legalize recreational marijuana died the committee level in March of this year.

The next chance for a bill to be refiled won't come until the 2023 legislative session, which is scheduled to begin next March.