Maine caregivers defend medical cannabis program as new testing shows contamination in nearly half of recent samples

Recent testing from Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy reveals nearly half of the state’s medical cannabis may contain harmful pesticides, mold, or microbes that could make people sick.The Office of Cannabis Policy tested 127 samples and found 57 of them, or about 45%, would have failed the standards used in the recreational use market.As we reported Monday, unlike the recreational market, medical cannabis is not required to be tested.Caregivers told 8 Investigates that recent test results don’t accurately depict the medical cannabis industry in Maine.”The medical market is safe. It’s a market that we’ve been running since 1999,” caregiver Sean Wyatt at Elevate Maine said.Wyatt takes pride in the medical cannabis products he cultivates and sells at his caregiver stores, and he has proof that his products are safe.While medical cannabis in Maine is not subjected to mandatory testing, caregivers do have to make samples available if requested by the state.Wyatt says last month was the first time in more than a decade the state actually showed up to get samples for testing. His samples passed in every tested category.”So I think that’s something that they should keep doing and continually doing, and then if there are bad actors in the industry, then they can get them out or fine them or have some type of license repercussion,” he said.Wyatt also weighed in on an analysis by Nova Analytic Labs, which was first reported this week by 8 Investigates.It found a nearly 21% pesticide failure rate in voluntary medical samples that were submitted for testing.”I feel like that shows we’re doing our due diligence and policing this industry for the retail side because we’re making sure the product is not getting onto the shelves,” Wyatt said.All of this comes as the Office of Cannabis Policy makes a renewed push for mandatory testing — similar to what’s already required in the adult-use recreational program.”People expect if you’re going to call it a medicine that they are assured there is nothing that’s going to harm,” said Dr. Patty Hymanson, a medical doctor and former state legislator.Sean Bastin has both medical and recreational stores in Maine.”The bottom line is cannabis needs to be tested, it needs to be clean, and the patients need to make sure that they have access to clean cannabis,” Bastin said.While he said he’s all for testing, he said there are too many issues right now.”So being in both markets, one of the problems we see in recreational right now is there’s a wait time and there’s inaccuracies between testing labs,” Bastin said.He also said Maine needs more testing labs.”Prices for labs right now are so high because they’re so limited. The labs can get away with pushing higher prices. There’s a lot of mom-and-pop guys that are doing things the right way and they’re barely making it,” he said.Office of Cannabis Policy director John Hudak said patient health — not profits — is the priority.Maine’s medical cannabis market brought in more than $300 million last year.”If a business model is one in which producing clean cannabis is too costly, there’s something wrong with the business model,” Hudak said during a panel this week.The Office of Cannabis Policy is working on some rule changes in the medical cannabis program, but right now, those changes do not include mandatory testing.However, OCP has suggested a proposed testing requirement could be in the works.

Recent testing from Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy reveals nearly half of the state’s medical cannabis may contain harmful pesticides, mold, or microbes that could make people sick.

The Office of Cannabis Policy tested 127 samples and found 57 of them, or about 45%, would have failed the standards used in the recreational use market.

As we reported Monday, unlike the recreational market, medical cannabis is not required to be tested.

Caregivers told 8 Investigates that recent test results don’t accurately depict the medical cannabis industry in Maine.

“The medical market is safe. It’s a market that we’ve been running since 1999,” caregiver Sean Wyatt at Elevate Maine said.

Wyatt takes pride in the medical cannabis products he cultivates and sells at his caregiver stores, and he has proof that his products are safe.

While medical cannabis in Maine is not subjected to mandatory testing, caregivers do have to make samples available if requested by the state.

Wyatt says last month was the first time in more than a decade the state actually showed up to get samples for testing. His samples passed in every tested category.

“So I think that’s something that they should keep doing and continually doing, and then if there are bad actors in the industry, then they can get them out or fine them or have some type of license repercussion,” he said.

Wyatt also weighed in on an analysis by Nova Analytic Labs, which was first reported this week by 8 Investigates.

It found a nearly 21% pesticide failure rate in voluntary medical samples that were submitted for testing.

“I feel like that shows we’re doing our due diligence and policing this industry for the retail side because we’re making sure the product is not getting onto the shelves,” Wyatt said.

All of this comes as the Office of Cannabis Policy makes a renewed push for mandatory testing — similar to what’s already required in the adult-use recreational program.

“People expect if you’re going to call it a medicine that they are assured there is nothing that’s going to harm,” said Dr. Patty Hymanson, a medical doctor and former state legislator.

Sean Bastin has both medical and recreational stores in Maine.

“The bottom line is cannabis needs to be tested, it needs to be clean, and the patients need to make sure that they have access to clean cannabis,” Bastin said.

While he said he’s all for testing, he said there are too many issues right now.

“So being in both markets, one of the problems we see in recreational right now is there’s a wait time and there’s inaccuracies between testing labs,” Bastin said.

He also said Maine needs more testing labs.

“Prices for labs right now are so high because they’re so limited. The labs can get away with pushing higher prices. There’s a lot of mom-and-pop guys that are doing things the right way and they’re barely making it,” he said.

Office of Cannabis Policy director John Hudak said patient health — not profits — is the priority.

Maine’s medical cannabis market brought in more than $300 million last year.

“If a business model is one in which producing clean cannabis is too costly, there’s something wrong with the business model,” Hudak said during a panel this week.

The Office of Cannabis Policy is working on some rule changes in the medical cannabis program, but right now, those changes do not include mandatory testing.

However, OCP has suggested a proposed testing requirement could be in the works.

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