In Industry First, Vermont’s Control Board Halts Sale of Tainted Cannabis

MONTPELIER — In a first for the state’s nascent weed industry, the Vermont Cannabis Control Board (CCB) issued a consumer protection warning on Thursday, and pulled tainted flower from a licensed cultivator off of shelves in five stores due to contamination following a consumer complaint.

The person who smoked cannabis flower bought at The High Country in Derby reported a headache, a stomach ache and some nausea, all symptoms of a fungicide.

After the person provided a sample of the cannabis, testing revealed that it came from Holland Cannabis in the Orleans County town of Holland, Pepper told VTDigger last night. The board then used its inventory tracking system to trace the cannabis to five stores.

The CCB says anyone who purchased Holland Cannabis should return it to the store where they bought it.

Samples of multiple strains of Holland Cannabis flower tested above action limits for the active ingredient myclobutanil, the active ingredient found in Eagle 20EW fungicide, a legal product banned from use on cannabis in Vermont. Pepper told Seven Days that it’s often used by illicit market growers, a statement some of those growers took issue with on social media.

Holland Cannabis was sold at Zenbarn Farms in Waterbury Center; the High Country in Derby; the Green Man in St. Johnsbury; Lamoille County Cannabis in Morrisville; and Capital Cannabis in Montpelier.

The CCB says anyone who purchased Holland Cannabis should return it to the store where they bought it.

See now: Holland Cannabis Consumer Warning

Anyone who used the cannabis and became sick should seek medical attention or call poison control, as well as file a complaint with the board.

Symptoms of inhaling the pesticide are relatively mild and can include rash, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, nosebleed and eye irritation.

Read the Control Board’s full report below and on their website:

Consumer Protection Warning: All Strains of Holland Cannabis Flower

The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) is issuing a consumer protection warning for flower produced by Holland Cannabis (license number CLTV0057-01), due to pesticide contamination.

The CCB received a report of an adverse health impact allegedly related to the smoking of an unregistered strain of Holland Cannabis flower. The CCB obtained a sample of this product from the complainant and other samples of Holland Cannabis flower from a retail establishment, and has verified that samples of multiple strains of Holland Cannabis flower tested above action limits for the active ingredient myclobutanil, a chemical used as a fungicide.

The CCB is actively investigating this report and coordinating with other state agencies to gather information on the potential health impacts of smoking flower contaminated with myclobutanil. The scientific literature on the health impacts of heating and inhaling myclobutanil are minimal but imply the potential for the following symptoms: rash, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, nosebleed, and eye irritation.

The CCB has stopped sale of all Holland Cannabis flower at all retail establishments until it can confirm the safety of the company’s flower. The CCB is issuing this warning for public and consumer awareness in the interest of public health and safety.

Consumers who have purchased Holland Cannabis flower should return it to the store where they bought it. The CCB has confirmed that the following licensed retail establishments have sold Holland Cannabis flower:

• Zenbarn (Waterbury)
• The High Country Cannabis (Derby)
• The Green Man (St. Johnsbury)
• Lamoille County Cannabis (Morrisville)
• Capital Cannabis Company (Montpelier)

If a consumer has experienced symptoms consistent with exposure, or any adverse health effects from consuming any cannabis flower or products, they should seek medical attention or call poison control (1(800)222-1222) immediately, report the event to the retail establishment from which they purchased the product, and report the event to the CCB by submitting a complaint through the CCB website.

The CCB is actively investigating this incident and will issue the appropriate health and safety orders in the coming days and will impose the appropriate regulatory actions upon completion of its investigation.

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