Oregon Health Authority Finds High Pesticide Levels in Batches of "Dr. Jack" and "Marion Berry" Cannabis

"Flush it down the toilet.”

The Oregon Health Authority says two strains of cannabis bud sold at a McMinnville medical weed dispensary are tainted with a pesticide called spinosad.

The two batches, sold to about 130 customers at New Leaf CannaCenter in McMinnville, are called Dr. Jack and Marion Berry.

Tonight's announcement marks the first time since the legalization of recreational weed that OHA has issued a health alert for a batch of cannabis.

"We're asking people to look at the batch numbers on the labels of their products," says OHA spokesman Jonathan Modie. "If the batch number matches, take it back to the dispensary or get rid of it—responsibly, of course. Flush it down the toilet."

The health effects of the pesticide known as spinosad are unknown—but it can cause irritation if it gets on your skin or in your eyes. Modie says the affected batches came back from state-accredited testing labs with measurements far above safe levels of pesticide.

"Our concern is how this batch, despite the failed tests, made it from the grower to the dispensary, and from the dispensary to the consumers," Modie says. "We're investigating."

Here's the full release from OHA:

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