Among cannabis industry professionals, there is not enough awareness of the microbiological threats facing cannabis products. Still, new guidelines in Colorado are an example of the type of measures that can help companies improve the safety of products, Carly Bader of Willow Industries told Rootwurks this week.
“A lot of people are concerned about plant production but don't think about how overall plant health and specific plant pathogens affect the sale of products,” Bader said, adding “people concentrate on potency results or weight of finished product without thinking about what happens if those products fail contaminant testing.”
Bader said “you can either support yourself and your plants proactively by maintaining a clean facility or you may have to utilize decontamination technology to achieve a clean final product. A combination of the two ensures a consistent and reliable product.”
She said that cleanliness shortcomings are a huge problem for the industry, which accepts failure rates, products, and conditions within cultivations that would never fly in the food industry.
In 2019, Westword reported that out of 25 Denver-area dispensaries randomly tested for mold and yeast - 80% failed. In February 2022, a post by the cannabis testing lab Trichome Analytical asserted that nationally, about 10-15% of cannabis flower fails yeast and mold testing.
“If at a Nabisco cookie factory, 20% of the product was contaminated, that would be huge.It would be internally investigated by a HACCP team, and resolved. But for some reason in this industry [cannabis], people kind of just take it on the chin,” Bader said.
Bader is the Manager of Science for Willow Industries, which produces ozone-based decontamination machines that disinfect cannabis flowers and pre-rolls to eliminate microbial hazards. The company’s Willow Scientific branch provides microbial contamination consulting and site assessments for cannabis businesses that want to investigate the source of their contamination and prevent reoccurance. Their newest scientific product designed specifically with these hazards in mind, the WillowAir, aims to collect and remove microbial pathogens from the air within cannabis facilities to ensure both the health of the plant and the people working in the environment.
When asked about the most common cleanliness issues the company sees in cannabis, she mentioned the incorrect use of basic cleaning solutions. This includes the incorrect mixing of solutions to inadequate concentrations or when employees leave solutions to expire.
“You might as well be spraying water on the surfaces you intend to clean because of a simple misunderstanding of the product. Incorrect usages lead to ineffective practices, and without any testing around this performance, cultivators never know. Companies are actually wasting time and money, it’s a double whammy.”
Bader spoke to Rootwurks two weeks after two regulatory changes took effect in Colorado that could have a serious impact on licensed marijuana operators and hemp safe harbor licensees.
Under the new guidelines, licensed marijuana operators in Colorado who want to receive a reduced testing allowance for microbial contaminants must implement a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system and achieve a passing score on an internal audit of their “substantial compliance with rule requirements.”
Bader said these changes will “undeniably” help cannabis companies in Colorado produce safer products.
“By using the HACCP system of thinking and analyzing your hazards and preventing or removing them you can in tandem remove those testing failures.”
Bader said that companies are already creating safer facilities for both people and plants that are less likely to harbor contaminants by carrying out the measures necessary in Colorado to receive a reduced testing allowance.
“A HACCP plan should already be implemented [at cannabis companies] . These are already things that you should do for your cultivation team to grow cleaner, higher-quality products. Both healthy plants and people produce higher potency flowers and higher quality products. Whether or not you apply for a reduced testing allowance, utilizing this process of hazard analysis establishes a method for understanding your failures, increasing the rate of passing tests, and having overall less occupational and customer safety risks.”
Regardless, at some point down the line, guidelines like the ones that went into effect July 1st in Colorado stand to one day become required across the industry if federal legalization ever happens, according to Bader.
“This is what’s required of food, this is what's required of pharmaceuticals, and once we see federal oversight across all state lines, I think these things are going to be required similarly.”
Click here or on the image below to learn more about the Rootwurks Basic HACCP Certification Course and how it trains employees to identify and mitigate biological, chemical, and physical threats to food safety.