When taking medication, consumers want their product to be as clean as possible. With the continued rapid growth of not just medical marijuana but recreational marijuana, growers are looking for ways to cut the expense of pesticide “cleaning” and eliminate future potential lawsuits.
States and Pesticide Removal
The State of Colorado brought up the concern of cannabis being grown with pesticides in 2012, but could not receive guidance for funding for research from the federal government due to marijuana federal illegality. In combination with this and growers opposition to changes in the decontamination process, the state of Colorado has kept inspections at low priority. While many entrepreneurs have taken this opportunity to pivot into becoming “cleaning” services for growers, some growers and retailers have continued with their original practices, leaving them susceptible to lawsuits.
But Colorado is not the only state with concerns. The State of Oregon recently counter 900 failures of pesticide removal from marijuana, including one instance where 370 batches had to be recalled due to excessive pesticide levels. And, in 2016, the City of Seattle issued alerts to consumers of the potential risks of pesticide ingestion when inhaling.
What Happens When You Inhale Pesticides
While the known effects of inhaling pesticides are limited due to lack or research, it is known that pesticides when smoked enter your bloodstream similarly to being injected. Currently, the medical community is relating the effects of pesticide smoke inhalation to those that have had overexposure to pesticides in other forms, most notably field workers and people that have ingested high levels through food.
- The minor effects of overexposure can lead to: abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, as well as skin and eye problems.
- Long-term effects of overexposure can lead to: Cancers including, leukemia, lymphoma, brain, kidney, breast, prostate, pancreas, liver, lung, and skin cancers. Neurological issues and limited brain functions. Reproductive issues including birth defects, fetal death and altered fetal growth, and impaired fertility in males.
The Need For “Organic” Weed
Companies like Clean Green provide certification to growers that use clean, sustainable, natural and organically-based practices. Because the term “organic” is federally regulated by the USDA, and marijuana is not yet a federally recognized crop, it cannot legally be recognized as organic, no matter how environmentally friendly the cultivation process is.
In May of 2017, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington signed a bill sponsored by Republican Senator Ann Rivers, paving the way for Washington to create what is believed to be the first system in the United States to certify marijuana as organic. The new law creates “a voluntary program for the certification and regulation of organic marijuana products.”
Sen. River said to the media “This is consumer-driven. As we have moved forward in the legal marijuana market, we’re hearing people say, ‘We don’t want any pesticides, fungicides, none of that stuff in our weed.’”
Originally published www.medicalmarijuana.com on January 7, 2018.
