Contaminated cannabis warning raises concerns about testing practices
A new investigation has uncovered a concerning trend in the Massachusetts cannabis industry: mold- and yeast-contaminated marijuana being sold at dispensaries across the state.
Industry experts say an alert from the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) raises serious concerns about consumer safety, particularly for medical marijuana patients with compromised immune systems.
Whistleblower raises the alarm on cannabis testing
Christopher Hudalla, founder and chief scientific officer of ProVerde Laboratories, a cannabis testing facility, said he has been sounding the alarm about this issue for years. He first alerted the CCC about his contamination concerns back in 2020.
"We have emails going back over four years on this specific case and very little movement. Very little response," Hudalla said. "It has been frustrating because for several years we have expressed concerns to CCC about testing methodologies in place or products that represent a safety concern for consumers."
Hudalla believes the root of the problem lies in inconsistent testing methods used by different labs. While his lab adheres to the guidelines set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia, utilizing culture-based assays to accurately detect mold, other labs employ PCR testing, a method he said is known for its unreliability in this context.
"Multiple states have banned this type of testing for yeast or mold because of the unreliability of it," Hudalla said. He further alleged that some cannabis companies engage in "lab shopping," seeking out labs that are more likely to pass their products, even if they contain mold.
Health risks for vulnerable patients
The presence of mold in cannabis poses significant health risks, especially for immunocompromised individuals.
"For the 20 to 30% of medical patients who are immunocompromised, mold exposure can lead to serious infections, systemic illness and even hospitalizations," said Dr. Benjamin Caplan, a Massachusetts family physician.
Symptoms to look out for include cough, fever, shortness of breath and chest pain, according to Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a cannabis specialist at Mass. General Hospital.
"A lot of sick people use medical marijuana, often with great benefit," Grinspoon said. "But if there were molds and fungi in the cannabis, it can be very dangerous for immunocompromised patients."
If you have experienced any health issues after using cannabis, experts said it is crucial to consult with your doctor, especially if you have a weakened immune system.
Reaction from cannabis supplier Holistic Industries
A lawyer for Holistic Industries, which said its products were affected by the warning, said the company was complying with what he described as a recall despite there being no reports of health issues and the product complying with all existing rules on marijuana in Massachusetts.
"We are seriously concerned that the CCC, by undermining its own regulation that testing results are valid for one year, has opened the floodgates to the filing of complaints for nefarious reasons. This could further destabilize the Massachusetts cannabis industry as operators face constant recalls," Holistic general counsel Kyle Crossley said in a statement Tuesday.
The company described the CCC announcement as the product of infighting among independent testing labs jockeying to have their preferred method of testing become the standard for the state.
Calls for stronger oversight and federal intervention
Hudalla and other medical professionals are calling for greater regulatory oversight and stricter enforcement of testing standards.
"One of the best things that could be done is more off-the-shelf testing by the commission," Hudalla said. "That has been part of the regulations from the inception -- that the commission has the ability to source material from retailers and have it tested on their own. To date there has been none of that happening."
Dr. Grinspoon called for federal intervention, emphasizing the need to implement clear and consistent regulations at the national level. Grinspoon echoed Hudalla's concerns with the CCC.
"You know, you wonder a little bit if these problems are related to the chaos we've had in the last couple of years at the CCC," Grinspoon said. "If we just had more airtight, organized, less contentious leadership, it might turn out better and we might avoid situations like this."
CCC's response and next steps
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission provided the following statement:
"The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is committed to overseeing a safe, equitable, and effective cannabis market, which includes adapting and responding to changing trends in the industry to uphold public health and safety. To improve testing reporting and data analysis, the Commission, through an administrative order approved this past December, will require all licensees, starting on April 1st, to submit one test sample package to a single Independent Testing Laboratory (ITL) for all compliance testing of marijuana and marijuana products in accordance with the agency’s regulations and testing protocols. This order is one of several tools the agency is using to update testing guidelines as the legal marketplace expands. The Commission has also committed to regular meetings with ITLs, has begun publishing testing results to the Commission’s Open Data Platform, and continues to communicate with licensees regarding duplicate samples for testing and other matters through regular bulletins."
NBC10 Boston's Asher Klein contributed to this report.
