BOSTON (WHDH) - Moldy marijuana sold across Massachusetts is prompting a health and safety warning.
According to the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, the moldy products were sold throughout the state from May of last year until January 23.
“When someone hears the term ‘mold,’ it’s very scary,” said Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director for infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “But, I want to emphasize, that we’re exposed to mold all the time because they are in the air, and most of the time our bodies fight if off without any problems.”
However, there are some exceptions.
Dr. Sax says some people are allergic to mold and it can cause wheezing, asthma, rashes, or a fever.
“The most severe problems with mold are people who are immunocompromised, and if their immune system is weakened, those molds can invade into the body and cause really serious illness,” said Dr. Sax.
The marijuana commission says the impacted pot passed initial testing but compliance testing revealed mold and yeast.
“What I think it actually shows is that the system is working,” said Dr. Michael Siegel, professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. “In this case they found contamination, it’s a little later than we would have liked, but they found it.”
Experts say the lab where these tests are done are held to some of the highest standards in the nation.
“There are states that don’t have as strictly regulated market, and in those states something could have happened and not [been] caught,” said Dr. Siegel.
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