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Ask Dr. Nandi: Potential dangers of smoking recalled marijuana products

generic marijuana
Posted at 3:40 PM, Jan 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-12 08:46:35-05

(WXYZ) — More medical marijuana products are being recalled in Michigan because of failed laboratory testing.

This is the second round of recalls in about a week. This time the products were sold at The Green Mile in Detroit between Dec. 18 and Jan. 3 and at Compassionate Care by Design in Kalamazoo between Dec. 12 and Dec. 29.

Question: Why did the products fail testing?

Marijuana is hotly debated and there are plenty of folks who see it as a safe and effective treatment for a variety of health conditions. But what we often don’t hear about is that marijuana can contain contaminants. And these can affect your health. Now, not that long ago, Michigan didn’t have regulations in place that tested medical marijuana for safety compliance. But now we do. And what labs do, is examine marijuana for things like mold, spider mites, mildew, fungus, pesticides. bacteria and heavy metals. So the recalled products could have failed due to any of these issues. However, the announcement from the Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs did not specify exactly what the issues were. They just reported it as a “health and safety advisory recall”.

Question: What are the potential dangers of smoking medical marijuana that’s failed testing?

Well, bacteria like E.coli and salmonella can potentially make you ill and could especially hurt sick patients. Moldy marijuana can affect people with weakened immune systems, causing respiratory or flu-like symptoms. And pesticides can be a real health concern if used on marijuana plants. Because if the product is inhaled, these toxins can have a direct route to your lungs and bloodstream and are dangerous to your health.

Question: What should people do if they have bought products from the recalled stores?

Check your medical marijuana label for the license number and the production batch number. Then go to WXYZ.com where you can find the entire list of recalled products. And if you have one of them, please return them to where they were purchased so that they can properly be disposed of.

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This week on The Dr. Nandi Show, I’m talking about addiction. Because we’re in the middle of an addiction epidemic. And I’m concerned, are we doing enough to fix families in its grip? Please join me this Sunday as I discuss this tough subject with some of the country’s most respected recovery leaders. You’ll also hear from addicts who battle every day to stay sober, to stay clean and to stay alive. We’ll talk bluntly about the crisis and what it’s really going to take for our nation to make a full recovery. Tune in on January 13th at 5 pm right here on WXYZ.