'Health Alert' Has Been Issued To Tainted Marijuana In Oregon

The controversial marijuana plant is in the spotlight again. As Oregon issued the first "Health Alert" last Friday as they found that the cannabis is tainted with a high level of pesticides.

An estimated of 130 people bought the two marijuana strains sold by McMinnville dispensary.  Between Oct. 15 and Oct. 17, the dried cannabis flowers are under the lab testing. It shows that the products were contaminated with spinosad which is a common pesticide used by the industry of marijuana, according to Statesman Journal. 

The marijuana producers have long used the insecticide to battle against olds and mites, as it is common to plague the marijuana plant. But, this year the state began to craft a stronger policy on how will it affect consumers.

Now, the Oregon Health Authority requires that an authorized lab testing must be required to all marijuana plants. The agency also established and lingering amount of pesticides allowed on marijuana products.

In a report by Oregon Live, they said that the so-called "action level" for spinosad is 0.2 parts per million. Green Leaf Lab of Portland detected 42 parts per million on samples of a strain called Dr. Jack and 22 parts per million on another strain called Marion Berry, both sold by New Leaf, a medical marijuana dispensary on Northeast Riverside Drive in McMinnville.

As for the new rule, it stated that marijuana testing labs must alert the health authorities when the cannabis products fail to meet the pesticide standards released by the state. However, the states do not want to identify the producer, as they are following the confidentiality requirements of the medical marijuana law.

The market is shifting to a system overseen by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Chairman of the liquor control commission Rob Patridge added that  "We will be double checking our rules to ensure we can properly protect the public.