The city of Denver recently announced that inspectors found potentially harmful contaminants in a large batch of cannabis products. As a result, the company that produced the contaminated weed has issued a recall.
Consumers in Colorado who may have purchased the questionable products are urged to either destroy it or return it to the retailer where they purchased it.
Cannabis Tainted With Mold and Yeast
On Monday, the city of Denver circulated a statement announcing the recall. As per that memo, Denver marijuana company Bonsai Cultivation has issued a voluntary recall on tons of products.
The recall comes in the wake of a safety test by the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE). Specifically, samples of flower from Bonsai Cultivation showed elevated levels of yeast and mold.
After failing the test, the company issued a recall. In particular, any Bonsai products containing dried flower that were purchased between April 30, 2019 and October 14, 2019 could be contaminated.
Anyone who purchased flower products made by Bonsai during that time period are encouraged to destroy the weed or return it to the place they purchased it.
Bonsai Cultivation products that are potentially contaminated include the following:
- flower
- pre-rolled spliffs
- shake
- pre-rolled joints
- trim
- pre-rolled blunts
According to DDPHE, the recall is affecting products from 144 retail stores throughout Colorado. Of those 144 shops, at least 54 are located in Denver.
Additionally, the contaminated products passed through three cultivation facilities and 11 manufacturing facilities in the state.
Contaminated Weed Could Create Health Problems
Authorities in Colorado and Denver are urging consumers who may have compromised product not to consume it. Doing so could lead to health problems, they said.
“DDPHE opened an investigation after identifying multiple samples of marijuana plant material had failed total yeast and mold sampling from multiple retail store locations,” Denver officials said in a statement. “Short and long-term health impacts resulting from inhalation exposure to mold/yeast may exist depending on the specific product, duration, frequency, and level of exposure.”
In addition to disposing of any contaminated weed products, consumers are encouraged to see their doctor if they have health concerns.
“Consumers with concerns about their personal health should contact their physician with related questions,” Denver officials said. “Any consumers who experienced symptoms of illness after smoking, vaping, or other consumption method of plant material purchased from Bonsai Cultivation are also urged to contact DDPHE at: phicomments@denvergov.org.”
Product recalls like this are not uncommon in the legal cannabis industry. Typically, they happen when lab tests reveal potentially unsafe cannabis products.
In general, safety concerns tend to center on possible contamination from pesticides, fertilizers, mold, yeast, or other substances.
Although unrelated, many places in the country are also dealing with similar health concerns related to cannabis products. Specifically, there have been a number of illnesses and deaths linked to vaping. In most cases, these problems appear to come from knockoff black market THC cartridges.
One recent test showed high levels of contamination among black market cartridges. However, that test showed that carts purchased at a legal dispensary tended not to have contaminants.