SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Liquor Control Commission issued its first recall of recreational marijuana after samples of a type of cannabis were found to contain a level of pesticide residue above the state limit.
The rest of grower Emerald Wave Estate’s 9-pound batch of Blue Magoo marijuana flower can’t be sold until additional testing is complete.
The Blue Magoo marijuana was sold at Buds 4 U in Mapleton, a community 45 miles west of Eugene, The Capital Press reported. The commission, which oversees retail sales of recreational cannabis, said people who bought the product should return it to the retailer or throw it out.
The retailer notified the agency immediately after spotting the failed pesticide reading in the state’s cannabis tracking system, commission spokesman Mark Pettinger said. The shop sold the brand to 31 customers March 8-10.
Pettinger said a wholesaler shipped the cannabis to the Mapleton store before the test results were entered in the tracking system.
“The retailer was great,” he said. “They get the gold star.”
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission said the samples failed a test for pyrethrin levels. They are a mixture of six chemicals that are toxic to insects, according to the National Pesticide Information Center based at Oregon State University.
Pyrethrins are found in some chrysanthemum flowers and can be used on organic products in some cases.
RELATED STORY
Pesticides 101: Questions and Answers for Cannabis Patients and Consumers
With the legalization of recreational marijuana, growers are facing a new regulatory structure. Because the federal government still considers the drug illegal, states had to establish their own rules for pesticides and cannabis. Oregon tests for 59 active ingredients.
The testing was done by GreenHaus Analytical Labs, which is certified by the state to test cannabis for potency, water content and pesticide residue.
The rest of grower Emerald Wave Estate’s 9-pound batch of Blue Magoo marijuana flower can’t be sold until additional testing is complete.
