The government has been cracking down on illicit retailers of marijuana in BC, and many samples being sent into the labs are coming back with bizarre results.
A pilot study done by the BC Cannabis Secretariat sent out twenty dried cannabis samples to a federally licensed testing lab. All the samples were seized by the provincial Community Safety Unit in the Metro Vancouver region.
What came back was shocking. Twenty-four distinct pesticides were found in the illegal cannabis, along with levels of bacteria, fungi, lead, and arsenic.
The variety of contaminants found in the study show that some growers producing for the underground market are posing a risk to their consumers.
Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General says “My message to people who choose to consume cannabis is simple: buy from legal sellers whose regulated product is subject to national requirements that are in place to protect you.”
Licensed cannabis producers must meet federal regulations and their product goes through a variety of tests to ensure it is safe for human consumption.
Results from the twenty samples of illicit cannabis can be found here.
https://cannabis.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/397/2021/06/2021-Illicit-Cannabis-Testing-Results-_MBlabs.pdf
