Editor\u2019s note: This story has been updated to include a response from the Arizona Department of Health Services.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the Arizona Department of Health Services said a marijuana testing laboratory incorrectly told dispensaries that a number of concentrates and edibles had tested negative for possible pesticide contamination. However, one dispensary told Phoenix New Times later that day that the products had been tested again and cleared.<\/p>\n
The announcement of possible contamination followed a routine inspection by DHS lab inspectors at Kaycha Labs in Tempe. The inspectors found records of failing tests for the pesticide Spinosad in three batches of concentrates from Sol Flower\u2019s North Phoenix location and seven of edibles from Trulieve\u2019s North Mountain Dispensary. The lab had incorrectly reported those tests as passing to the dispensaries, DHS said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe products tested were distillates. The distillates were used to manufacture additional products,\u201d the department noted in a press release, adding that the announcement was \u201cmade out of an abundance of caution\u201d and advising anyone who had purchased the products to dispose of them.<\/p>\n
Spinosad is a pesticide made using natural soil bacteria. It utilizes neurotoxins to disrupt the nervous systems of pests, such as fruit flies and mites. In its release, DHS noted that it\u2019s also used as an anti-flea solution or for head lice and does not absorb well when swallowed by humans, meaning it\u2019s unlikely to cause serious health problems if ingested. However, consuming a large amount could cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, and contact with the skin or eyes could cause mild irritation.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Trulieve told New Times that the dispensary batch was \u201casked to be quarantined out of an abundance of caution,\u201d but that the products have since been cleared. Baked Bros., the brand that made the edibles, said in a written statement that the recall was issued \u201cbecause expired finished goods were unavailable for additional testing\u201d and that DHS did not confirm a failed lab test. It also claimed that all of the products passed testing at two independent laboratories.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not clear how that squares with DHS\u2019s claim that inspectors \u201cobserved records that indicated failed testing.\u201d In a statement provided to New Times after this story was published, DHS spokesperson Magda Rodriguez said the lab \u201cmisreported testing for marijuana distillates as passing for the analyte Spinosad, when the test actually failed.\u201d Asked whether any of the products had been subsequently cleared of contamination, Rodriguez said that \u201cthe products listed on the recall press release remain part of the recall at this time.\u201d She did confirm that some of the recalled products were no longer \u201cremaining on the shelf to test.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, the Department cannot confirm these products are safe to consume,\u201d Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
According to DHS, the distillates were manufactured by Sol Flower and then purchased by Baked Bros. to make several products. \u201cAt this time, it does not appear that there has been any wrongdoing by the manufacturers,\u201d Rodriguez said. Sol Flower has not responded to New Times\u2019 questions.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear whether Kaycha Labs will face any fines or penalties for the alleged mishap. DHS does not test marijuana <\/a>itself and instead licenses third-party facilities to perform testing. The state does not report fines against marijuana testing labs, though the Arizona Republic reported<\/a> that over $1 million in fines had been levied against them since marijuana became legal for adult use in 2021.<\/p>\n