Marijuana Regulatory Agency recalls tainted weed from Michigan retailers

(WWJ) -- The Marijuana Regulatory Agency has recalled an unknown amount of marijuana from retailers across Michigan because it was tainted with pesticides.

The MRA issued a health and safety advisory bulletin on Sept. 24, due to a voluntary marijuana product recall, as several batches of marijuana were run through the mechanical trimmer of Michigan Medical Marijuana LLC, doing business as Glo, prior to retesting for microbial failures.

The MRA says the mechanical trimmer was contaminated with banned chemical residues Bifenthrin and Chlorfenapyr.

Some of that marijuana, however, slipped through the safety testing system and ended up on some retailers’ shelves, in the form of bud and pre-rolled joints. It was not clear whether any of it was sold to consumers.

The agency did not disclose how the tainted marijuana slipped through the cracks, or how much product was affected.

Jerry Millen, the owner of Greenhouse in Walled Lake, tells WWJ his shop did not sell any of the product, but he says it’s a big deal because such pesticides can cause major health issues like cancer down the road.

“This is not the same weed from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s,” Millen said. “It needs to be tested. Michigan has some of the most stringent testing in the country for cannabis and I totally agree with that, because this stuff needs to be safe.”

Millen says he’s not sure how the marijuana made it onto shelves, but he would sure like to know.

“Every once in a while you’re going to have these hiccups,” Millen said. “It’s terrible to see this. It’s a new industry -- things will change, it’ll get locked down tighter. I’m not quite sure how it even happened, but it shouldn’t.”

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A full list of affected products can be found in the MRA’s bulletin. Any consumers who may have these products in their possession should return them to the marijuana retailer where they were purchased for proper disposal. Officials say marijuana retailers must display the applicable portions of this recall notice for their establishment on the sales floor, visible to all customers, for 30 days.

Consumers who have experienced symptoms after using these products should report their symptoms and product use to their physician. Consumers are requested to report any adverse product reactions to the MRA via email: MRA-Enforcement@michigan.gov or via phone: 517-284-8599.

Marijuana retailers that receive adverse product reactions from consumers, please report the adverse product reactions to the agency and document these reports in Metrc. Additional questions can be sent to Operations Support Section at MRA-Compliance@michigan.gov.