Reader: Should Shoppers Be Notified of Contaminated Weed? Sad This Is Even a Question!

Colorado's cannabis rulemakers are weighing new product testing and decontamination rules, including a potential label for products that have undergone remediation techniques after harvest. Contamination from mold or illegal pesticides has been an ongoing problem since recreational pot sales began in Colorado at the start of 2014.

Decontamination and remediation techniques for failed batches of cannabis were approved by the state Marijuana Enforcement Division in 2021, but the definitions and rules surrounding these techniques are slight. As more Colorado growers use decontamination techniques or try to skirt state contaminant testing and mold recalls increase, MED officials have called growers, public health administrators and other cannabis stakeholders together for rulemaking suggestions.

The latest hearing took place on August 30, and in their comments on the Westword Instagram page, consumers offer plenty of suggestions for the group, including why shoppers should be notified that weed is contaminated. Says Mallory:

It's sad that this is even a question.

Adds Maddie

 Yes, the consumer should be notified. I worked in the industry and saw what those remediation techniques did to the overall quality of the product. I wouldn’t have smoked it myself, and yet it was being sold as if nothing had happened.

It “decontaminates” the outside of the bud, but most of the issues occur within the bud itself. 

Wonders Angela: 

Can they also hold more grows accountable for selling flower with PM on it? Working in grows has made me realize how shady the owners can be, and more focused on money than growing good medicine.

Offers Seth: 

Coming from a guy who’s been in hundreds of commercial grows in multiple states, most (not all) commercial grows are far cleaner than anything your friends grow in their basements, no offense to home growers, but most commercial growers have adequate airflow and dehumidification, which are the key factors in limiting microbial growth. We face semi-annual inspections from multiple agencies, including dept of ag and dept of health, which ensure compliance. Consumers need to understand that providing a perfect climate for plant growth also equates to a perfect climate for growth of microorganisms. The expectation should be relatively (visibly) clean, not sterile, however the regulations we’ve been saddled with force commercial growers to seek out various means of “decontamination” however this shouldn’t indicate the weed was ever “contaminated”. If there is visible mold on the product, don’t smoke it. If the bud looks good and smells good, those are both indicators the product is fit for consumption. If it smells like hay or musty, or has a brownish discoloration, it’s probably old or has been heavily affected by mold growth and should be trashed.

Counters Tezca: 

No way hundreds or thousands can be cared for the way a small grow can. You can say just hire more people, but no one pays more than entry level for grow hands, leading to people who don’t care about the job or the plants they're paid to care for. It’s in the corporate culture to take a product and make it as cheap as possible with the illusion of quality and care.

Concludes Jules: 

I really hope this passes, because customers should 100 percent be notified. A lot of these people are not consuming recreationally — they are looking for medicine. To sell them garbage is a lie, and people should feel guilty.

What do you think of the proposed rules changes? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].