Washington Pushes For Pesticide Transparency In Retail Marijuana

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For decades, buying pot off the street sometimes meant you had to take the seller’s word about the quality and origin of their product. But with some states legalizing retail marijuana sales in the U.S., there’s an opportunity for consumer safeguards and increased transparency for pot purchasers.

The Seattle Times reports that, starting this week, marijuana growers and processors in Washington state that meet new state standards [PDF] for things like labeling, safe handling, and pesticide screening, can apply to obtain an “enhanced seal of approval” from the state.

Washington does already require screening for mold and microbes, but the state isn’t mandating that companies also undertake the often-expensive process of screening for pesticides. Rather, it is hoping that the incentive of carrying that new label will be enough to make it worth their while.

However, though the rules don’t ban pesticides or require testing, growers are still only allowed to use “approved” pesticides that have been deemed by the state’s department of agriculture as “allowed for use in the production, processing, and handling of mari­juana.”

by Chris Morran via Consumerist