SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A local lab is warning about a "concerning" level of pesticides found in some cannabis products.
At Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs, emerging from a heap of charts and numbers, is a question.
The question ABC 10News posed to Lab Director Eric Paulson: “From a health perspective, how concerning are your findings?"
“Very concerning," Plauson said.
The lab began screening products for pesticides last fall after concerns were raised by clients in the cannabis industry.
Plauson said they found about 5 to 10% of cannabis samples tested had pesticide levels exceeding state standards. Most of the 80 pesticide-laden samples were vape products.
“Those tend to concentrate the largest levels of pesticides,” he said.
According to Paulson, some of the samples have one pesticide, while others had up to 25.
While some of the cannabis had pesticide levels just above state standards, some were far worse.
“Some of the samples have hundred or thousands of times the levels that the state allows,’ said Paulson.
The use of pesticides is often driven by the desire for higher profits.
He said during the growing process, pesticides can be sprayed directly, found in the soil, or drift from other farms.
“Using pesticides is cheaper way to achieve higher yields and mitigate problems you might have,” said Paulson.
As for health problems related to pesticide, Paulson said a few of the identified pesticides can lead to acute issues like coughing and nausea, but the biggest concern is long-term exposure.
Paulson's lab has shared its findings with state officials and the Los Angeles Times, which confirmed many of the lab's results in a recent investigation.
The lab's campaign for more awareness appears to be producing results. Last week, state officials recalled one of the vape products identified in the testing.
"We want safer products … The state needs to essentially get their lab up to the level they would need to truly be able to surveil the market,” said Paulson.
The State Department of Cannabis Control issued the following statement:
"The Department of Cannabis Control appreciates the recent media spotlight on the crucial work being done to enforce compliance within the licensed cannabis market, but there are additional critical details that have been overlooked. The Department has substantially increased compliance actions across the supply chain and the commencement of state lab testing of pesticides in vapes.
Since the beginning of 2024, the Department has initiated 28 product recalls (an 86 percent increase from 2023), including 5 recalls issued today. Recognizing that these challenges are across the supply chain, the Department has issued 158 license denials, citations, fines, suspensions, and revocations (a 35 percent increase from the 103 administrative actions issued in 2023).
The Department remains focused on increasing its capacity to enforce the regulatory framework set in California law by supporting its licensees who adhere to some of the strictest regulatory standards in the nation while continuing to take aggressive enforcement actions across the supply chain on those who do not."
