Medical Cannabis Patient Advisory
OCP received a patient complaint in June about a ChoicesLab 2-in-1 disposable vape device purchased from Klouds Society that was not functioning properly. Upon investigating, the Office discovered that the registrant had purchased the vapes from outside of the regulated market.
OCP went on to test the Sweet Citrus x WarHeads flavored vape devices as part of its investigation. Those test results (for both the left and right sides) showed varying unsafe levels of five different pesticides including bifenthrin, chlorfenapyr, cypermethrin, malathion, and permethrin.
Inhaling cannabis containing unsafe levels of pesticides can cause respiratory irritation, neurological effects, and/or flu-like symptoms. Below please find more information on the toxicity and health impacts of each contaminant detected at unsafe levels in the dual chamber vape devices listed above. Any patient who has ingested these products and is experiencing symptoms or adverse reactions should contact a healthcare provider immediately or dial 911 if there is a medical emergency.
Additional information related to this advisory is available here.
Concentration, Toxicity, and Health Impacts of Cannabis Contaminants
Below please find a list of contaminants (analytes) that the vape devices sold by Klouds Society would have failed testing for per the Adult Use Cannabis Program testing standards.
Flavor |
Side |
Analyte |
Concentration (ppm) |
Adult Use Pass/Fail Threshold (ppm) |
Times (x) the Adult Use Pass/Fail Threshold (ppm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads
|
Left |
Bifenthrin |
828 |
200 |
4.14x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads
|
Left |
Chlorfenapyr |
11,800 |
1,000 |
11.8x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads |
Left |
Cypermethrin |
9,620 |
1,000 |
9.62x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads
|
Left |
Malathion A
|
347
|
200 |
1.74x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads |
Left |
Permethrin |
1,440 |
200 |
7.2x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads |
Right |
Bifenthrin |
855 |
200 |
4.28x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads |
Right |
Chlorfenapyr |
11,500 |
1,000 |
11.5x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads |
Right |
Cypermethrin |
9,640 |
1,000 |
9.64x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads |
Right |
Malathion A |
295 |
200 |
1.48x |
Sweet Citrus x WarHeads |
Right |
Permethrin |
1,420 |
200 |
7.1x |
Below please find information about the toxicity and health impacts of each contaminant (analyte) listed above. Any patient who has ingested these products and is experiencing symptoms or adverse reactions should contact a healthcare provider immediately or dial 911 if there is a medical emergency.
Bifenthrin (insecticide): Low to moderate toxicity to humans (Level 3 - toxic). Inhalation may cause irritation of the respiratory tract. The U.S. EPA classifies bifenthrin as a possible human carcinogen.
Chlorfenapyr (insecticide): Low to moderate toxicity to humans (Level 3 - toxic). Inhalation may cause high fever and altered mental state.
Cypermethrin (insecticide): Relatively low toxicity to humans (Level 4 - harmful). Inhalation may cause irritation of the respiratory tract. May cause damage to lungs.
Malathion (insecticide): Low to moderate toxicity to humans (Level 3 - toxic). Toxic if inhaled. May cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, sweating, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, muscle weakness, and blurred vision.
Permethrin (insecticide): Relatively low toxicity to humans (Level 4 - harmful). Inhalation may cause nose/throat/lung irritation, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, excessive salivation, nausea, and vomiting.