Most cannabis samples from illegal retailers in B.C. study were not fit for sale
A new analysis of contamination in cannabis seized from illegal retailers in Metro Vancouver has authorities encouraging consumers to switch to the legal cannabis market.
B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth shared some of the study's findings at a news conference Wednesday.
In 20 samples of dried cannabis flower sent for analysis, 24 distinct pesticides were found, with nearly every sample having evidence of at least one potentially harmful product, Farnworth said.
The study also found unacceptable levels of bacteria, fungi and heavy metals in many of the samples, he added.
The public safety minister said the findings lead to a simple conclusion: Legal cannabis, which is regulated and tested by Health Canada, is safer.
"Don't buy illicit cannabis, because you don't know what's in it and it may be contaminated," Farnworth said. "If you choose to use cannabis, buy it legal."
The study's full findings can be found on the website of the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, which conducted the analysis on samples provided by the B.C. Cannabis Secretariat.
According to the centre, only three of the 20 samples would have met health standards for sale on the legal market without further analysis. Nine of the samples failed to meet legal standards outright, while the remaining eight would have required further investigation to determine their suitability for sale through the legal system.
The centre describes the analysis as a "pilot study," and notes several limitations on the findings.
"This small sub-sample is not representative of all illicit cannabis in Metro Vancouver," the centre's summary notes. "Because the samples were from cannabis seized from illicit store fronts, we do not know the provenance of the material. The 20 samples may have been produced by 20 different growers, or one. They may have been grown within Metro Vancouver or may have been sourced from elsewhere."
For Farnworth, that's part of the point.
"When you buy from an illicit storefront or an online seller, you don't know where it's coming from or whether it's clean and fit for human consumption," he said. "In contrast, when you buy from a licensed seller, you can trust the label on the product."
Farnworth said a total of 160 illegal cannabis retailers have either been shut down or closed voluntarily in B.C. since legalization, and added that the province is working on further enforcement against the illicit market.
With a total of 370 legal cannabis retailers now operating around British Columbia, the idea that the legal market is inconvenient should no longer be an excuse for purchasing cannabis illegally, Farnworth said.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the transition to a legal cannabis industry has been happening slowly, something he attributed, in part, to consumers' entrenched buying habits.
"It's been legal now in this province for just over two and a half years," Farnworth said. "In the state of Colorado, very similar to British Columbia in many ways, it took four years for them to get from a 100 per cent illegal market to a 70 per cent legal market, and we are on that same path."
B.C. retailers sold about $20 million worth of legal cannabis in March 2020, and sold more than double that amount - $43 million - in March of this year, according to Farnworth.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.