There has been a recent surge in warnings for cannabis-based products by the Department of Cannabis Control in the first half of 2024, with 24 product warnings issued.
The action represents a huge step-up after the agency recalled only 4 products throughout the entire year in 2023.
Unusually Few Recalls in Comparison to Other States
In comparison to other states with legalized cannabis, and for a state with a population as large as California’s, the number of recalls is considered unusual.
The CEO of FOCUS, a nonprofit that looks at cannabis regulations, Lezli Engelking says: “Arizona probably has four recalls a month. A state the size of California, it just statistically does not make sense.”
Dearth of Cannabis Regulatory Efforts
Some experts have suggested that regulation efforts have not been meeting standards in recent years.
Engelking suggests: “It sounds like nobody’s monitoring the industry. We’re doing all this testing, but nobody is actually looking to see if there’s problems.”
California Leader of Cannabis Liberalization Movement
Weed has been legal for recreational use in California since 2016 through the Adult Use of Marijuana Act.
California was also the first state to legalize cannabis for medical purposes back in 1996, when it passed the Compassionate Use Act.
Deluge of Warnings Issued This Year
The regulator has currently issued a number of warnings that cannabis products are unfit for human consumption.
In the past 6 months, this number has come to 24 warnings for separate cannabis products for a number of different reasons.
Massive Step Up From 2023
The number of warnings issued this year represents a huge step-up in action taken by the Department of Cannabis Control in California.
In comparison to the 24 warnings issued this year, the DCC made just 4 recalls last year, with the increase being potentially attributed to increased reporting on the issue of product contamination.
Recalls Due to Number of Issues
Products have been found to contain pesticides and mold, as was the case with some of Mike Tyson’s branded cannabis products, which were recalled earlier this year from stores across the state.
Another issue is mislabelling of the products, especially of potency levels. Lack of information on the strength of the products can be a serious issue to some users.
Investigators Denied Access to Information on ‘Dirtiness’ of Products
SFGATE, a media site covering the Bay Area, requested to speak to an expert at the DCC regarding specifics on the current spate of recalls but were denied.
They intended to ask a set of questions including the possibility of a substantive difference in the ‘dirtiness’ of the legal supply of cannabis products sold this year in comparison to previous years, but were denied this request.
DCC Released Statement With Partial Explanation
The DCC released a statement to the media that may provide some explanation to the sudden increase in regulatory action.
They said: “As the Department continues scaling and adjusting its enforcement of cannabis regulatory requirements and recalls, such as mislabeled products, consumers may see an increase in the number of recalls by the Department.”
Response to Media Pressure?
This month, the LA Times found that 25 of 42 vape pens they tested contained pesticides. Some of the pesticides were even substances that are banned in the state of California.
On Tuesday, the DCC made its first recall notice for pesticide contamination in vape pens sold by West Coast Cure, which allegedly contained the pesticide chlorfenapyr.
