Contributor: KC Scannell
I don’t know about you, but for me, one of the most attractive things about smoking cannabis has got to be the assurance of safety. Of course, before legalization was even considered, there was always a legal risk that us, stoners, would have to endure in order to find the medicinal relief we so desperately needed. But since the nation has started to fully embrace marijuana, and its various forms, those legal worries have quickly become a thing of the past.
And with that absence of potential legal punishment now fading away in the rear view mirror of society, that’s left the cannabis community with nothing but smiles and high-hopes about the future of marijuana, and its allowed usage in this country.
For years, anxious newbies to the world of cannabis have calmed their uneducated fears about marijuana with the knowledge that nobody has ever died from cannabis use. No one. Also, the components that make up marijuana have been proven (time and time again) to not be physically addictive.
Batches Of Moldy, Substandard Cannabis Found In Las Vegas Dispensaries
Thus proving that, without a shadow of a doubt, marijuana is not only safe to partake in - it’s the smart choice.
Especially when compared to actually lethal, addictive drugs that would find themselves just as readily available on the street and black market. Drugs like cocaine, heroin, and meth were wrongfully seen as peers to marijuana, as the federal government unjustly deemed cannabis as a Schedule 1 Narcotic for years and years.
This, for lack of a better term, is absurd. There’s nothing but medicinal benefits to cannabis, and such has been scientifically proven by the medical community. But, seeing as how money-hungry politicians are too stubborn (and corrupt) to ever see the truth about cannabis, they routinely drag their feet when it comes to any conversation about legalization.
However, all of those misguided lawmakers seemed to have withered away during these discussions as of late, which has resulted in a litany of states going ahead and passing positive pieces of legislation that inherently legalize the medicinal (and in some cases, recreational) use of cannabis. And that, my fellow stoners, is always going to be seen as a massive victory. Not only for the cannabis community, but for society, as a whole.
But, with this level of success and acceptance, there’s bound to be a smidgen of corruption. Which is a sad truth, but it’s one that needs to be addressed as soon as it’s spotted. With the cannabis industry being one of the most profitable this nation has ever seen, there’s a few “bad apples” that are spoiling the otherwise wholesome bunch, due to their illegitimate business practices, which are solely based on their insatiable greed and wantingness to profit from this typically harmless business.
Synthetic strains and tainted vape cartridges are just the start of what we hope is only a few downsides to the legalization of marijuana. What used to be considered a completely carefree way to find mental and physical solace has now become a guessing game consisting of fraudulent products containing harmful, unnecessary chemicals. Such an example could be seen with the wrongful implementation of Vitamin E Oil that has been found in a multitude of vapes, which have hospitalized (and even killed) numerous people all over the country.
Yes, synthetics and tainted vapes are a major problem. But the issues don’t just stop there. If plants and crops aren’t properly cared for, they could end up hurting any who choose to smoke it, as well. A couple damaging side effects from poor crops are most commonly found with the presence of mold and high levels of yeast. But these are typically only spotted during the lab test part of the legalization process.
Growers and companies in states that are embracing legalization must undergo strict lab testing procedures before they can even think about going to market. And, for the most part, these companies are more than happy to comply. But, again, as I alluded to previously, there’s always going to be a handful of ne’er-do-wells that try to skirt pass the regulation process and force a tainted product onto the shelves of dispensaries without approval. And while they see it as a harmless way to net more profit in a quicker fashion, it does nothing but hurt their customer base – in more ways than one.
And, sadly, such seems to be the case with a handful of batches that are currently circulating through the cannabis culture in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Four specific batches of cannabis drastically failed lab tests recently. These tests found that they were overwhelmingly full of yeast and mold. And, as I’m sure you can already assume, partaking in such a crop is going to do damage to anybody who is unfortunate enough to have smoked it.
For those in the area, the following batches of buds were found to be extremely tainted, and the Nevada Department of Taxation has already issued a safety notice to all cannabis enthusiasts who may have purchased these subpar flowers.
- Funky Malawi (Harvest Date: 7.10.19 — Batch No.:FM-07102019 Lot# 02)
- BWID (Harvest Date: 5.28.19 — Batch No.: BWID052819 Lot# L1)
- Gelato #41 (Harvest Date: 7.10.19 — Batch No.: G41-07102019 Lot# 01)
- Northern Lights Blue Flower (Harvest Date: 6.5.19 — Batch No.: NLB-06052019 Lot# 01)
If you’re at all curious as to whether or not the buds you’ve recently purchased are amongst the tainted batches, all you’ll need to do is grab the container (or packaging) that your buds came in, and consult the Harvest Date & Batch No. – which are regularly found on the label.
Also, it should be known that these batches were mostly sold at the following locations between July 10th – August 28th of this year:
- Naturex II, LLC (license # 50748233769645953480)
- H. Flamingo, Inc (license # 01359449685112111637)
- Acres Medical, LLC (license # 11058209030610809158)
- Desert Aire Wellness, LLC (license # 25729455103203031356)
As of right now, there hasn’t been any official reports of consumers falling ill from the mold and yeast, but with the vape crisis having just taken place across the country, the entire cannabis community is trying to be more than careful when it comes to this sort of thing.
And, while many may not deem yeast or mold to be super lethal, there’s still a litany of health issues that can occur with the smoking of such batches – especially for those out there who are currently dealing with any sort of issues with their immune system.
While this is currently just an isolated incident, it’s quickly becoming apparent that even the cannabis community isn’t safe from corruption. There needs to be a whole lot more work done as far as regulation goes in this industry, but luckily the labs in Las Vegas were able to catch this rather quickly. But had this been picked up on before these batches went to market, who knows how much grief would’ve been avoided.
At the end of the day, it’s just smart for every cannabis enthusiast to thoroughly research their items before partaking in them. The more one knows, the better off they’ll be. And, hopefully, with the addition of some much needed regulations in the cannabis industry in this regard, these sorts of instances will soon stop altogether.
Emphasis on “hopefully.”
