Cannabis legalization makes it easier to buy infused products and flower. It also creates checks and balances. Weed reform often comes with regulatory bodies that dictate how the industry operates. In Washington, the Liquor and Cannabis Control Board monitors the industry by checking in with processors, testing retailers with underage buyers, and testing products for unwanted additives. Last week, the agency issued one of its largest recalls to date.
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Northwest Cannabis Solutions (NWCS) is the third largest-earning processor in the state, selling flower, edibles, and concentrates. The LCB issued a recall for over 500 of its high terpene extract cartridges, citing high concern for pesticides and residual solvents. These products have been distributed to 129 stores since being released.
The recall includes NWCS disposable vapes and cartridges in Wedding Crashers, White Widow, and Super Boof one-gram options and quarter-gram vendor samples. Identification numbers listed in the state-provided spreadsheet can be cross-checked on product labels. These products are now considered “cannabis waste” by law and must be disposed of. The state recommends crushing the product into other garbage. The weed should make up less than half of the trash by volume.
Now, NWCS has 60 days to send a recall plan to the LCB, designating a staff member to coordinate and spell out how the brand will identify, isolate, retrieve, and destroy the product. They must also explain how they will inform consumers and other businesses about the recall. All impacted products are set to be destroyed in the presence of an LCB officer. The LCB can call for a closure of the recall with the board if all steps are met.
The state requires third-party testing to ensure banned pesticides stay below designated levels in all legal products. They also monitor for moisture, microbial, foreign matter, cannabinoid content, residual solvents, heavy metals, and mycotoxins.
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Washington legalized adult-use cannabis in 2012 and began documenting recalls online in 2016. This is the first appearance of NWCS on the list. Neither NWCS nor the LCB responded to a request for comment.
While alarming, recalls are a sign that the regulatory agencies meant to keep weed clean are working. Those who buy from the brand should check their labels, and everyone else should bone up on how to be a discerning shopper.
