Potentially deadly contaminants have been found in illegal cannabis. (ID 118600732 Dmitry Tishchenko Dreamstime.com.jpg)

By Kevin Rothwell

Bacteria, fungi, lead and arsenic.

Potentially deadly contaminants found in illegal pot

Jun 9, 2021 | 1:56 PM

The sale of illicit cannabis continues to thrive in B.C. through black market sale and unregulated shops on first nations land.

The province has undertaken a pilot project to check the safety of that product against the government regulated variety and has found that many samples contained contaminants that would not be allowed in the legal cannabis market.

Twenty-four distinct pesticides were found in the illicit cannabis samples, along with unacceptable levels of bacteria, fungi, lead and arsenic.

The frequency and variety of contaminants identified indicate that some growers producing for the illicit market may be engaging in practices that pose risks to both consumers and employees handling cannabis.

“My message to people who choose to consume cannabis is simple: buy from legal sellers whose regulated product is subject to national requirements that are in place to protect you,” Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General said. “In addition to the potential health risks, if you buy illegal cannabis, you could also be supporting organized criminal operations that pose a danger to our communities.”

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As part of a pilot study, the B.C. Cannabis Secretariat sent 20 dried cannabis samples seized by the provincial Community Safety Unit from illicit retailers in the Metro Vancouver region to a federally licensed analytical testing lab in February 2021.

Cannabis products from licensed producers are strictly regulated to ensure they are fit for human consumption. They must meet federal regulations, including mandatory testing for the presence of solvent residues and contaminants such as pesticides, fungi, bacteria and heavy metals. In contrast, very little is known about the quality of cannabis sold on the illicit market or production practices used by unlicensed growers in Canada.

The secretariat carried out the pilot study with assistance from the BC Centre for Disease Control and the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health.