Journalists are tasked
with the job of exploring ugly truths. While there’s a lot to love about legal cannabis, there are some unpleasant realities when it comes to commercial cultivation. The National Library of Medicine identified more than 350 pesticides that can be used on cannabis. Some are approved for use on fruits and vegetables, but there’s little research on what happens when those substances are ignited and inhaled.
Research published in 2019 by the National Center for Biotechnology Information noted, “Currently no research exists on the toxicity of pyrolyzed pesticides in humans from smoking cannabis.” This industry is asking policymakers and consumers to consider cannabis a medicine, yet research on inhaled pesticides is nonexistent. Regulators from California to Maryland are creating rules with huge implications for their fellow citizens and one question is becoming increasingly important: Which pesticides,
