Does California weed have a pesticide problem?

With the legalization of cannabis in California, cannabis entrepreneurs are now required to bring their previously semi-legal cultivation practices into compliance. Regulatory authorities are monitoring, in particular, the use of pesticides in both outdoor and indoor cultivation—an issue that can affect all consumers since These products are still in the weed, regardless of the form in which cannabis is consumed.

The Hidden Secret of the Green Industry

In Orange County, a patient who was testing the medical marijuana In an effort to treat his back pain, he ended up suffering from neurological problems: «My whole body would go numb all at once.».

Following this incident, journalists from NBC4 purchased 44 different types of cannabis from 15 dispensaries in different cities. Of these 44 samples, which the sellers claimed were pesticide-free, 41 tested positive for pesticides. The patient in question vaporized his cannabis in the form of oil. Pesticides were found in his sample even though the distributor of that brand guaranteed on its website that the product was free of solvents and pesticides.

Professor Jeff Raber is concerned about the situation: « »There's a big difference between eating and smoking pesticides. When you eat, your body acts as a filter. When you smoke, it's as if you were injecting the pesticide directly into your bloodstream."

«This is a terrible finding,» says Adam Lustig, CEO of Higher Vision Cannabis. The health risks can be enormous. Traces of’Avermectin, Myclobutanil and bifenzate. Exposure to these products can be extremely toxic. So far, only the city of Berkeley has voted to set a maximum detectable level of pesticides in the plant.

THC and Pesticide Concentrates

According to SC Labs founder Alec Dixon, , 80 percent Concentrates tested in California are said to contain traces of pesticides. According to him, butane and CO2 extraction techniques concentrate not only THC but also pesticides. While barely detectable in the plant in its natural state, pesticide levels are said to be 100 times higher in the concentrates.

Illegal Outdoor Growers in the Crosshairs

In California—and more specifically in the northern counties of the state—illegal outdoor cultivation is wreaking havoc on the ecosystem. In addition to draining water reserves, illegal growers don't skimp on fertilizers and pesticides. In outdoor cultivation, it's mainly insecticides and rat poison that cause serious environmental damage. They kill rodents and insects, but they also contaminate the natural predators of these creatures. All while polluting California’s groundwater and soil.

Market regulation is long overdue

The cannabis testing laboratories are eagerly awaiting full regulation of cannabis. According to Reggie Gaudino of Steep Hill Labs, «In the current California market, cannabis can go directly from the producer to dispensaries without any verification of the product’s quality or composition.»

California would be well advised to follow the example of other states that have legalized cannabis. In Oregon and Colorado, pesticides are permitted and regulated. These states set a maximum limit for each substance. If this limit is exceeded, the end consumer will never get to see this weed.

Théo Caillart