Pubdate: Wed, 09 Sep 2015
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2015 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Authors: David Migoya and Ricardo Baca

STATE, CITY RECALL POT EXTRACTS

Pesticides on Mahatma Goods Derived From Supplier's Plants

State and Denver inspectors on Tuesday ordered a recall of marijuana 
extracts sold by Mahatma Concentrates that The Denver Post revealed 
contained high levels of unapproved pesticides.

Mahatma co-owner Brett Mouser confirmed the recall of products that 
were derived from marijuana plants grown by a supplier, Treatments Unlimited.

Treatments' co-owner has acknowledged the Denver company used the 
unapproved pesticides. Treatments earlier this year had a number of 
its plants quarantined by city officials because of pesticide 
concerns and later released.

Tuesday's recall was ordered by the Denver Department of 
Environmental Health and the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division 
following a story by The Post that revealed lab tests detected three 
unapproved pesticides in a pair of Mahatma products.

The tests commissioned by The Post found levels of myclobutanil and 
imidacloprid in Mahatma's Black Label Grapefruit Diesel wax that were 
six times the maximum amount allowed by the federal government on any 
food product. The pesticides also were found in Mahatma's Black Label 
Alpha Blue shatter but at lower levels. Measurable amounts of 
avermectin were found in both.

Only Mahatma products showing an origin number of 403-00114 on their 
labels are subject to the recall. It was unclear how many products 
with that origin number were sold.

Mouser said he is preparing to handle returned products.

"Hold placards were placed on locked storage units for when recalled 
product comes back into Mahatma," he told The Post in an email. "Once 
product reaches us on this recall, we will be sending out for 
testing, and once results are back and show passed, then the product 
will be released from city of Denver's hold. If product does not 
pass, we will be quarantining and contacting the MED for further instruction."

Tuesday's actions are part of "a supply-chain investigation," 
according to Dan Rowland, spokesman for Denver's office of marijuana 
policy, adding that additional recalls are possible.

Inspectors visited Mahatma's facilities and pored through records and 
products. An owner at Treatments, which also operates Altitude The 
Dispensary shops in Denver, said he expects agency inspectors to 
visit his facility on Wednesday.

Pesticides typically are applied while a plant is growing, not after 
it has been harvested, dried and sold.

The Post's investigation found Mahatma had inadvertently mislabeled 
its products to indicate the concentrates came from plants it had 
grown. The pesticides were not included in the product labels' lists 
of ingredients.

State law requires labels to reflect any pesticide or herbicide or 
contaminant that was used at any stage of a marijuana product's 
processing. Though the law also requires cannabis businesses to test 
for pesticides, that provision has not been enforced.

Mouser previously said the business's labels are only as accurate as 
the information provided to them.

"We're going by what our clients give us, as far as an ingredients 
list," he told The Post. "We go over ingredients lists ... and we 
check that list against the approved pesticides list. If we find 
something that isn't on the list, we notify the processing client."

The pesticides found in The Post's tests are among hundreds the 
Colorado Department of Agriculture has not approved for use on 
marijuana because product labels restrict their use to certain plants 
and crops or to specific locations such as open fields and residential gardens.

Because marijuana is illegal under federal law, the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency will not certify any pesticide for 
use on cannabis nor allow any testing. As a result, there are no 
safety limits established for their use specific to cannabis or their 
ingestion by consumers.

However, the products are allowed on other consumable items such as 
strawberries, tomatoes and grapes, though the level of pesticide 
residues allowed on each varies.

The Post found pesticide levels as much as six times the highest 
amount allowed on an edible food product, and as high as 1,800 times 
the level Denver officials allowed to be on released plants it had 
quarantined earlier this year over pesticide concerns.

Enforcement of the state's list of allowable pesticides is sporadic 
at best, with most city and state officials responding to complaints 
rather than inspecting each facility.

Colorado had about five years of medical marijuana cultivation and 
sales before the state in 2013 began compiling a list of which 
pesticides could be used on the plants. Officials admit that reflects 
an imperfect system.

Colorado's marijuana czar, Andrew Freedman, said the state is dealing 
with the problem as best it can.

"Many growers are new to regulated pesticide use. Beyond that, like 
banking, the pesticide regulatory system is heavily built on federal 
involvement," said Freedman, director of Gov. John Hickenlooper's 
office of marijuana coordination. "I know that's not a completely 
satisfying answer, and honestly I wish we had these challenges solved 
by day one. But we're working toward an enforceable solution that 
also protects consumers from other contaminants, such as molds."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom