To grow, marijuana needs certain conditions: humidity and a lot of light. As pot becomes legal in more places and more ways, be it medical or recreational, more companies are growing the once secretly-harvested plant, usually indoors in a controlled area.
The problem with that is humidity and lots of artificial light are not just optimal conditions growing marijuana, they are also prime conditions for mold.
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A new Wall Street Journal analysis found that while states where marijuana is legal make growers hire laboratories to check for mold and other contaminants, many of those labs are underreporting what they find.
The Journal’s analysis looked at more than 2 million mold testing results from nine states and found a disproportionate number of products containing dangerous mold, which can make you sick or even kill you, are being cleared for sale.
Certain molds and their toxins have been linked the cannabis plant. When ingested, the fungi can pose serious health risks, especially for those with weakened immune systems.
A 2020 review of national insurance claims found marijuana users are nearly four times more likely than non-users to be infected with fungi that have been known to cause infections, dangerous immune responses and even death.
The Journal found labs that passed more marijuana samples got more business. If labs test four samples and one is contaminated, that’s a 25% contamination rate, but if a lab test 10 samples and two are found to be contaminated, that’s only a 20% contamination rate, which doesn’t sound quite as bad, does it?
Since most states that have legalized weed in some form do not have a set standard for how testing should be done, there’s no easy way to find out if the product is safe. Consumers can do the legwork themselves, though, because every legal weed label identified where it was tested.
However, many cannabis enthusiasts said that can be a cumbersome process because a person has to research each lab and their methods to make their own informed decision.
Tags: cannabis, Contamination, Death, Health, Health Care, Insurance, marijuana, Wall Street Journal
TO GROW BIG AND STRONG – MARIJUANA NEEDS CERTAIN CONDITIONS: HUMIDITY AND A LOT OF LIGHT.
AS POT BECOMES LEGAL IN MORE PLACES AND MORE WAYS – BE IT MEDICAL OR RECREATIONAL – MORE COMPANIES ARE GROWING THE ONCE SECRETLY-HARVESTED PLANT… USUALLY INDOORS IN A CONTROLLED AREA.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS HUMIDITY AND LOTS OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AREN’T JUST GREAT FOR GROWING WEED… THEY’RE ALSO PRIME CONDITIONS FOR MOLD.
A NEW WALL STREET JOURNAL ANALYSIS FOUND WHILE STATES WHERE MARIJUANA IS LEGAL MAKE GROWERS HIRE LABORATORIES TO CHECK FOR MOLD AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS… MANY OF THOSE LABS ARE UNDER-REPORTING WHAT THEY FIND.
THE JOURNAL’S ANALYSIS LOOKED AT MORE THAN TWO MILLION MOLD TESTING RESULTS FROM NINE STATES – AND FOUND A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF PRODUCTS CONTAINING DANGEROUS MOLD, WHICH CAN MAKE YOU SICK OR EVEN KILL YOU, ARE BEING CLEARED FOR SALE.
CERTAIN MOLDS AND THEIR TOXINS HAVE BEEN LINKED THE CANNABIS PLANT.
WHEN INGESTED – THE FUNGI CAN POSE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITH WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS.
A 20-20 REVIEW OF NATIONAL INSURANCE CLAIMS FOUND MARIJUANA USERS ARE NEARLY FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN NON-USERS TO BE INFECTED WITH FUNGI THAT HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE INFECTIONS, DANGEROUS IMMUNE RESPONSES AND EVEN DEATH.
THE JOURNAL FOUND LABS THAT PASSED MORE MARIJUANA SAMPLES GOT MORE BUSINESS.
THINK ABOUT IT: IF YOU TEST FOUR SAMPLES AND ONE IS CONTAMINATED, THAT’S A 25 PERCENT CONTAMINATION RATE… BUT IF YOU TEST *TEN* SAMPLES AND *TWO* ARE FOUND TO BE CONTAMINATED, THAT’S ONLY A 20 PERCENT CONTAMINATION RATE, WHICH DOESN’T SOUND QUITE AS BAD, DOES IT?
AND SINCE MOST STATES THAT HAVE LEGALIZED WEED IN SOME FORM *DO NOT* HAVE A SET STANDARD FOR HOW TESTING SHOULD BE DONE… THERE’S NO EASY WAY TO FIND OUT IF YOUR POT IS SAFE.
YOU CAN DO THE LEGWORK YOURSELF, THOUGH – BECAUSE EVERY LEGAL WEED LABEL IDENTIFIED WHERE IT WAS TESTED… BUT MANY CANNABIS ENTHUSIASTS SAY THAT’S A PAIN BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO RESEARCH EACH LAB AND THEIR METHODS TO MAKE YOUR OWN INFORMED DECISION.
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