A series of cannabis recalls in short succession has industry members questioning the effectiveness of Maine's cannabis testing protocols.
Maine's Office of Cannabis Policy issued its first recall for contaminated recreational products in September. Two more recalls and one expansion swiftly followed suit, and more are expected as the office ramps up auditing. All of the recalls were for failed mandatory yeast and mold tests.
On the heels of these recalls – which have contained little information about the circumstances for the failures – industry members are calling for an examination of the state's standards for yeast and mold, which they say are simultaneously too tight, with 10,000 colony-forming units per gram limit, and too broad, encompassing both dangerous and beneficial microbes.
Yeast and mold are the most common contaminants that cause a sample to fail a test, and mold is the hardest test to pass because it's so prevalent in the natural world. But it's important to monitor. According to the Office of Cannabis Policy, inhaling cannabis containing unsafe levels of mold can lead to sinus issues, allergies, headaches, dizziness and fatigue, as well as more serious infections.
Read more at Sun Journal