Banned Insecticide Spawns Recall of Marijuana Harvested in 2020

Colorado regulators have recalled several batches of marijuana harvested in 2020 after discovering potentially unsafe levels of a banned pesticide.

According to a health and safety notice from the state Marijuana Enforcement Division, marijuana from Tree Farmers LLC tested positive for imidacloprid, an insecticide banned from use in pot cultivations. Primarily made by Bayer, imidacloprid showed "low human lethality" in a study on accidental pesticide poisonings, but did lead to respiratory failure and reduced consciousness in some cases.

The recall was sent out December 8, but all six harvests took place in October 2020, according to the recall. The plants for all but one harvest were grown outdoors, and the majority of the marijuana was used as starting material for extracted and infused products such as edibles, lotions and marijuana concentrate.

Although the Moffat farm's marijuana was harvested over a year ago, starting material for certain extractions and infused products can sit in warehouses for months at a time.

The plants were all grown for wholesale use, and well over 100 products and strains from various vendors may involve marijuana from Tree Farmers, according to the recall. Most of the recalled products are listed under their production batch numbers, which are printed on marijuana packaging or labeling. All recalled products also bear the Tree Farmers retail cultivation license number, 403R-01153.

"Consumers who have affected marijuana in their possession should return it to the Retail Marijuana Store where it was purchased for proper disposal. Consumers who experience adverse health effects from consuming the product should seek medical attention immediately and report the event to the store from which they purchased the product," the notice reads.

Testing marijuana for pesticides and other contaminants is required in Colorado, but the MED doesn't follow up to make sure every harvest is tested; recalls and investigations often follow tips and random inspections.

On a call with Westword, Tree Farmers co-owner Dalbert Trejo said that his English is limited, and that his son, Mauricio (who is twenty years old and not employed by Tree Farmers), would speak for him. According to Mauricio, the recall likely happened after a wholesale purchaser sent the marijuana in for testing before reselling or extracting the plant material. His father's business partner was in charge of cultivation in 2020, Mauricio says, and is "functionally no longer with us at the company."