Have you consumed products from illegal dispensaries?
Are you growing from home or purchasing homegrown products?
Be sure that you are fully educated on potential harmful contaminants before you consume untested cannabis products. It’s important to understand why Health Canada ensures all medical and recreational cannabis products undergo strict testing before they are approved to consume. Obtaining unregulated (e.g. illicit) cannabis can be of danger to your health.
Routine testing of recreational and medical cannabis include Cannabinoids (THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBGA, CBC, CBN), aflatoxins, heavy metals, moulds, bacteria, pesticides, terpenes, foreign material, moisture content and residual solvents (oil products). Black market cannabis is any product sold or obtained through channels that are not approved and regulated by Health Canada. Illicit cannabis holds no standards for such requirements that legal cannabis holds.
Risks include:
Incorrect potencies: Did you know almost all black market cannabis has mislabeled dosing? There is no testing that takes place for most black-market cannabis. THC and CBD dosages are rough math or even exaggerated to encourage sales. Where this can become very harmful is when one is used to consuming the mislabeled illicit products at very ‘high’ dosages, then consumes truly labelled products. They end up taking more cannabis than they can tolerate. If you are a black market consumer, don’t assume that your tolerance is as high as you think it is. Medical and recreational cannabis are the only products with true dosage strengths. Your 2000mg chocolate bar is likely one-tenth of the advertised strength. There is no question, Health Canada’s imposed 10mg THC limit on each edible is driving consumers to illicit sources, but know, these products are correctly and safely labelled.
RPC conducted a study to compare legal to illicit products; their findings were conclusive to our warnings to consumers. One data snip from their article shows all cannabis flower from the black market ringing in at different potential than advertised, whereas legally sourced flower was as advertised. (LINK: https://rpc.ca/english/press/Comparison%20of%20Illicit%20and%20Legal%20Cannabis%20Samples.pdf)
Contaminants: There is a long list of potential contaminants that have harmful health impacts, which include pesticides, pathogens, toxins, solvents, heavy metals and more. The BC Centre for Disease Control and the National Collaborating Centre had 20 illegal samples seized in BC; test results concluded only 10% of those products were safe to consume. (LINK: https://globalnews.ca/news/7935387/bc-cannabis-testing-tainted-illegal/)
In addition to general contaminants of cannabis flower or potential additives to your vape cartridges. There is no guarantee that your edibles being produced in a sterile environment to ensure optimal results.
Seizing and Scams: Canada Post holds the right to seize any illegally shipped packages from black-market cannabis sources. Leaving the consumer out of pocket for the purchased goods. There are no regulatory safeguards to protect consumers from seized products or scams. These channels are subjected to the reality of law enforcement raids. These sources typically also have strange methods of payment. Whereas recreational and medical channels accept payment through debit or credit cards, these companies request money orders, e-transfers, etc.
Home-Grown Products: If you are growing from home, testing a sample of your product is an option through accessing a Health Canada-approved testing facility. By accessing a testing facility, while providing a sample of your product, you can obtain a Certificate of Analysis to review all your cannabinoids and product strength. RPC (link: https://www.rpc.ca/english/as-cannabisanalysis.html) offers many testing services that may appeal to home growers and has tested some Licensed Producers. However, from what they’ve observed, testing by home growers has been limited to potency and, in some cases, total bacterial count. Testing for the full suite of Health Canada required tests (which includes potency, pesticides, heavy metals, aflatoxins, and a number of pathogen tests) would be cost-prohibitive for most home growers. For those not interested in costly testing, be sure to educate yourself on potential contaminants in your plants. Accessing legally available products has already undergone this process in order to be available to purchase, including an in-depth contamination review.
Remember the benefits of recreational and medical products are putting your health first and foremost. Recreational cannabis is convenient and a fun shopping experience, medical cannabis can provide access to fine tuned treatment plans, carrying more than 30 grams of cannabis, can possibly be covered by insurance and can be claimed as a medical expense on your income tax returns.
Written By: Brittney Jones, VP, Canada House.