OKLAHOMA CITY – Pesticides considered potentially unsafe or known to be toxic have been discovered in marijuana products in Oklahoma and in California.
The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority issued an embargo on June 7, and a recall on June 10, involving products produced by Graves Farm Organics LLC.
The recalled products failed safety retesting for pesticides and include Bomber prerolls, Orange Push Pop Crumble, Ice Cream Cake Crumble and Gorilla Breath Sugar. Bomber pre-rolls failed for the pesticide permethrin and Orange Push Pop Crumble, Ice Cream Cake Crumble and Gorilla Breath Sugar all failed for the pesticide spiromesifen.
The full recall list is available at omma.ok.gov/recall. The list includes the product type, brand name, business name and date packaged. These products are to be removed from shelves and properly disposed of according to OMMA rules.
Patients are advised to check the recall list to determine if any products they have on hand are affected. Any patients who are concerned about consuming one or more listed products are encouraged to contact their physician and fill out the Health Impact Form on OMMA's website.
Processors that received the recall notice are required to inform dispensaries that bought the recalled products. Dispensaries are required to notify patients who purchased the recalled products and remove these items from shelves immediately.
Licensees must dispose of recalled products per OMMA rules. The commercial licensee whose harvest or production batch is being recalled is responsible for disposal costs of all waste. Licensees with questions are advised to visit omma.ok.gov/ contact.
Recalls are issued when OMMA scientists evaluate test results and other data leading to a determination that action is necessary. In many cases this includes submitting samples for multiple tests to confirm results, often utilizing multiple laboratories.
With the passage of Senate Bill 813, authorizing OMMA to operate a quality assurance lab, this process will be expedited. Funding for the lab was secured in the most recent legislative session, and work is underway.
Los Angeles Times reported that in California, a National Guard lab and an ecology company discovered that several packages found on illegal marijuana farms in one county contained blends of illegal Chinese insecticides and fungicides containing 21 hazardous chemicals.
“California screens legal weed products for only six of those substances, meaning the bulk of the hazardous pesticides would be undetected in the legal market,” the Times related.
Among the unusual substances was isoprocarb, which is not permitted in the United States; profenofos, an organophosphate so harmful its use here was discontinued in 2016; and fenpropathrin, an acutely toxic insecticide that is fatal if inhaled.
“We certainly see those dangerous chemicals at farms we’re investigating here in Oklahoma,” Mark Woodward, public information officer for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, told Southwest Ledger after reading the Times story.