High Alert: Arizona And Colorado Issue Recall Of Marijuana Products, Citing Contamination Concerns

Voluntary Recall Of Certain Marijuana Products In Arizona Over Contamination Concerns

The Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) has reported that a number of marijuana businesses in Arizona have decided to voluntarily recall several of their products due to potential contamination concerns. The recalled items are mainly from the Plant/Trim category, and the AZDHS has released a statement providing further details on the affected cannabis products.

These are the products identified for recall:

• Batch number 5726 1079 0361 6347 of Muddy Waters by Source One Meds
• Batch number 30476 of Mango Sunrise by Nature's Wonder
• Batch number BO3221213H of Blood Oath by Potent Planet
• Batch number JK230116H of Jenny Kush by Deep Root pHarm
• Batch number BMAC230116H of Big Mac by Deep Root pHarm, reported Fox 10.

AZDHS authorities have stated that the reason for the product recall is due to the possibility of contamination with Aspergillus fungus, a mold that exists both indoors and outdoors. They emphasized that, as of now, no illnesses have been reported in connection to the affected products.

The officials clarified that they are taking this step as a precautionary measure. "ADHS Lab auditors found a possible Aspergillus contamination during a routine inspection of a marijuana testing laboratory where it was determined that equipment was misused according to the manufacturer," the department said in a statement. "Once ADHS discovered the potential contamination, the establishment involved took immediate action to work with all distribution and retail partners to remove any potentially impacted products.”

Customers who purchased the recalled products should discard them immediately, said AZDHS. The statement also advised consumers to reach out to the dispensary or establishment from where they bought the affected products if they have any further questions.

Colorado Marijuana Recall: Veritas and Durango Cannabis Co. Products Recalled Across the State

Colorado's state marijuana regulators released two recalls pertaining to mold and laboratory testing issues, which have affected various dispensaries throughout the state. On March 20th, the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) issued separate recalls for wholesale flower manufactured by Carrick-Harvest LLC (also known as Veritas Fine Cannabis) and for pre-rolled joints produced by Durango Cannabis Co, a dispensary located in Durango that also supplies wholesale products.

According to the MED, the recall was issued following several months of disputed testing. MED investigators discovered harvest batches that had undergone a separate decontamination process compared to their corresponding lab samples, rendering the tests unreliable.

As a result, the CDPHE and DOR deem all batches of regulated marijuana flower produced by this licensee between January 1, 2020 and July 27, 2022 to be a potential threat to public health and safety. These contaminated, untested, and improperly tested batches were sold at Regulated Marijuana Stores across the state through March 14, 2023.

Individuals who possess the affected marijuana should either dispose of it or return it to the regulated marijuana store where it was bought for appropriate disposal. In case anyone experiences any negative health effects after consuming the marijuana flower, they should seek medical attention immediately and report the incident to the MED by submitting the MED Reporting Form, reported Westword.
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