Sun+Earth Certified is the Answer to the Cannabis Industry’s Pesticide Problem

The Los Angeles Times report published earlier this year on pesticide contamination in California’s cannabis market sent shock waves throughout the state and beyond. Consumers who thought the state had testing safeguards in place against pesticide-contaminated cannabis were alarmed and confused about what to do.

People who purchase cannabis are already at a disadvantage. The vast majority of cannabis products currently sold in the US present no on-package labeling that explains how the cannabis was sourced and grown, and specifically what pesticides or other chemical inputs were used in its production. So, when pesticides are found in cannabis that was supposed to have been tested—the only assurance consumers have besides purchasing regenerative organic cannabis—the effect can be existential for millions of cannabis users.

In a joint investigation, The Los Angeles Times and cannabis industry newsletter WeedWeek purchased dozens of cannabis products from retail stores, then tested them at private labs. More than 60 tests were run to check for over 100 types of pesticides, well beyond California’s requirement to screen for 66 chemicals. The report found that, “Out of 42 cannabis products tested, 25 had concentrations of pesticides above either state-allowed levels or current federal standards for tobacco.” To make matters worse, the California Department of Cannabis Control has been slow to issue recalls and hold producers accountable.

But growers are not just using dangerous pesticides in California. Cannabis product recalls are happening in Arizona, Oregon , Vermont, and Washington as well.

The current crisis shouldn’t be a mystery. Five years ago, in 2019, the City of Los Angeles sued a dispensary, seeking millions in civil penalties for selling cannabis contaminated with pesticides and fungicides, including paclobutrazol, classified as a Type II toxic chemical by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and not approved for use on cannabis in California.

Even longer ago, in 2015, The Oregonian independently tested ten cannabis concentrates sold at retail outlets and found that a majority were tainted with pesticides on the EPA’s list of possible carcinogens at five to eight times the limit set by the state.

Regulators in Washington State conduct random pesticide checks, but the state’s cannabis companies are not subject to mandatory testing. Nevertheless, after the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board tested 108 samples from four cannabis producers along the Okanogan River, fifty-nine came back with unapproved levels of a remnant from DDT, a synthetic pesticide banned half a century ago. According to the farmers, DDT was never used on their cannabis, but the remnant DDE which is considered a possible carcinogen, remains in the soil of the former fruit orchards where it was heavily applied.

Studies show that consumers care about the use of pesticides on the cannabis products they buy. In a 2019 California Cannabis Cultivation Report from New Frontier Data, seventy percent of consumers thought that using pesticides on cannabis puts them at risk. Sixty-four percent were concerned about the levels of pesticides used on cannabis, and 65 percent thought that such use damages the environment. If given the choice, fifty-three percent of consumers in the US are willing to pay more for organic cannabis products, according to market research group TrendSource in its 2019 Cannabis Industry Report.

Yet, the resounding response from the cannabis industry in California and elsewhere has been to crack down on testing companies and to rely almost exclusively on product recalls.

The leading regenerative organic cannabis certification, Sun+Earth Certified, offers a much better solution. No chemical fertilizers or toxic pesticides are used to grow cannabis certified by Sun+Earth, whose standards go well beyond the practices set by the USDA Organic program. While industrial indoor cannabis production consumes high volumes of energy and uses chemical inputs, Sun+Earth Certified cannabis is cultivated on outdoor farms that strengthen habitats and build living soil. The rigorous standards set by Sun+Earth encourage the planting of cannabis alongside food crops, and the strategic use of cover crops, composting, and reduced soil tillage.

With more than 60 certified farms in five state, including California, Michigan, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, Sun+Earth holds the promise of shifting the cannabis industry toward a cleaner, healthier, and more ethical future.

Consumers who are looking to steer clear of pesticides in their cannabis products need only look for the familiar Sun+Earth seal, which represents a beacon of hope in an uncertain marketplace awash in harmful pesticides. Be sure to ask for Sun+Earth Certified cannabis at your local dispensary.

Follow online: https://sunandearth.org/

Feature photo credit: Vincent Deschamps