Colorado Governor Safeguards Legal Weed Users

Hickenlooper enacts new policies to protect pot consumers from pesticide risk

Gov. John Hickenlooper has ordered all weed that was grown with certain pesticides to be destroyed, the first move in his new push towards increasing quality control in Colorado's legal Cannabis industry. On November 12, the governor handed down an executive order aimed at protecting the health of Cannabis consumers, citing the dangers posed to the public by pesticide-laden pot products.

"When a pesticide is applied to a crop in a manner that is inconsistent with the pesticide's label (an 'Off-Label' Pesticide), and the crop is contaminated by that pesticide, it constitutes a threat to the public safety," the executive order stated.

Producers and retailers may voluntarily destroy any offending herbal, concentrate or other forms of Cannabis, or the state could force them to do so.

Gov. Hickenlooper also authorizes several agencies the auspices to deem legal weed contaminated by such 'off-label' pesticides as contraband. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), via the order, officially declares all 'off-label'-treated pot to be a danger to the public; the Department of Revenue (DoR) is also granted the power "to find such contaminated marijuana a threat to public safety."

In addition to these agencies, the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is also "directed to utilize all existing investigatory and enforcement authorities established by law to protect against threats to the public safety posed by contaminated marijuana including, but not limited to, placing contaminated marijuana on administrative hold and destroying contaminated marijuana pursuant to existing law."

Prior to Hickenlooper's executive order, Colorado pot shops or producers faced quarantines or recalls if their Cannabis products were tested and found to contain unapproved pesticides. Such products were commonly returned to the retail market after their content was compared to acceptable pesticide levels in other consumable crops.

One of the most pressing concerns that has arisen as a result of the pesticide debate is that scientific and medical research into the detrimental effects of pot pesticides cannot currently be conducted due to restrictive DEA drug scheduling. Safe access can only be assured by thoroughly and honestly educating the public; much more research is required before that can truly happen and until Cannabis is ranked at a lower schedule, progress is limited.

Hickenlooper's executive order addresses this issue, stating, "Because marijuana remains a Schedule I narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act, the EPA has neither assessed the potential health hazards posed by treating marijuana with pesticides, nor has it authorized the application of any pesticide specifically for use on marijuana."