Toronto, Canada-based medical cannabis producer Mettrum Ltd. has come under fire after its products tested positive for banned pesticides myclobutanil and pyrethrin, leading to a voluntary recall of affected products, according to a Globe and Mail report. Neither the company nor Health Canada informed consumers en masse.
Myclobutanil is prohibited from use on legal cannabis products in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Colorado because it is known to produce hydrogen cyanide when combusted. Mettrum said that its use of pyrethrin was a mistake because it was not included on the ingredients of a pesticide spray the company was using. Mettrum did inform some of its customers via an automated phone message but did not publically announce the recall.
According to the report, Health Canada said that no broader warning was necessary because “exposure to the affected cannabis products would not likely cause any adverse health consequences.”
A representative from Mettrum told the Globe and Mail that only “trace levels” of myclobutanil were discovered but did not indicate how the banned pesticide ended up in its products.
In Canada, only 13 pesticides are approved for use on medical cannabis. Health Canada said that the agency is “looking at ways to make all cannabis product recalls, regardless of the level of risk, publicly available.”