Dataset Information

High levels of pesticides found in illicit cannabis inflorescence compared to licensed samples in Canadian study using expanded 327 pesticides multiresidue method.

ABSTRACT:

Background

As Cannabis was legalised in Canada for recreational use in 2018 with the implementation of the Cannabis Act, Regulations were put in place to ensure safety and consistency across the cannabis industry. This includes the requirement for licence holders to demonstrate that no unauthorized pesticides are used to treat cannabis or have contaminated it. In this study, we describe an expanded 327 multi-residue pesticide analysis in cannabis inflorescence to confirm if the implementation of the Cannabis Act is providing safer licensed products to Canadians in comparison to those of the illicit market.

Methods

An extensive multi-residue method was developed using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation method using a combination of gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous quantification of 327 pesticide active ingredients in cannabis inflorescence.

Results

Application of this method to Canadian licensed inflorescence samples revealed a 6% sample positivity rate with only two pesticide residues detected, myclobutanil, and dichlobenil, at the method's lowest calibrated level (LCL) of 0.01 μg/g. Canadian illicit cannabis inflorescence samples analysed showed a striking contrast with a 92% sample positivity rate covering 23 unique pesticide active ingredients with 3.7 different pesticides identified on average per sample. Chlorpyrifos, imidacloprid, and myclobutanil were measured in illicit samples at concentrations up to three orders of magnitude above the method LCL of 0.01 μg/g.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate the need of an extensive multiresidue method capable of analysing hundreds of pesticides simultaneously, to generate data for future policy and regulatory decision-making, and to enable Canadians to make safe cannabis choices.

SUBMITTER: Gagnon M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10463991 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

High levels of pesticides found in illicit cannabis inflorescence compared to licensed samples in Canadian study using expanded 327 pesticides multiresidue method.

Gagnon Mathieu M McRitchie Tyler T Montsion Kim K Tully Josée J Blais Michel M Snider Neil N Blais David R DR

Journal of cannabis research 20230824 1

<h4>Background</h4>As Cannabis was legalised in Canada for recreational use in 2018 with the implementation of the Cannabis Act, Regulations were put in place to ensure safety and consistency across the cannabis industry. This includes the requirement for licence holders to demonstrate that no unauthorized pesticides are used to treat cannabis or have contaminated it. In this study, we describe an expanded 327 multi-residue pesticide analysis in cannabis inflorescence to confirm if the implement ...[more]

PMID: 37620969

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Project description:BackgroundTerpenes contribute to the pharmacology, efficacy, aroma, and flavor of cannabis inflorescence, improving the experience for medical and recreational users. Terpenes are inherently volatile, resulting in the loss of terpene content as inflorescence ages. A method to establish and/or maintain a desired terpene content of cannabis inflorescence is needed. A novel packaging method was investigated for the preservation of native terpenes and the replenishment of terpenes to depleted inflorescence over various storage durations.MethodsInflorescence samples from two different chemotypes (DJ's Gold, Cream Caramel) were obtained from a state licensed medical cannabis organization. Samples from the DJ's Gold chemotype were depleted of terpenes whereas samples from the Cream Caramel chemotype had a terpene content representative of inflorescence available for medicinal or recreational purposes. Inflorescence samples were stored using the novel packaging approach, in airtight containers in the presence of external terpenes. Control samples were similarly stored without external terpenes. Terpene content of the inflorescence samples were quantitively determined by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS GC-MS) after various storage durations. Main effects analysis was used to determine the impact of various parameters on the effectiveness of the system.ResultsAll samples stored using the novel packaging approach had a higher terpene content than their corresponding control. 1.18% (w/w) of external terpene, relative to inflorescence weight, was the minimum amount required to maintain the initial terpene content of the inflorescence after 6 weeks of storage. Main effects analysis showed that augmentation of inflorescence terpene content was dependent upon the amount and type of external volatile utilized. The terpene profile of inflorescence samples from two separate harvests were selectively adjusted, reducing the percent difference of the two sample's terpene profiles by 39.5%.ConclusionsA successful proof of concept was achieved for preservation, augmentation, and replenishment of terpenes to cannabis inflorescence over various storage durations. Inflorescence stored using the novel packaging approach is a significant step towards providing patients with cannabis inflorescence of reproducible and reliable terpene content, an important component of inflorescence efficacy. The novel approach for replenishment of terpenes to depleted inflorescence represents an exciting development for patients and manufacturers.

Project description:BackgroundSome pesticides are immunotoxic and have been associated with an increased risk of immune-mediated diseases. The risk of shingles, the clinical reactivation of varicella-zoster virus, increases with aging and immunosuppression; little is known about its associations with pesticides.ObjectiveWe examined the use of agricultural pesticides in relation to incident shingles in a prospective cohort of licensed pesticide applicators.MethodsThe study sample included 12,820 (97% male) farmers (enrolled in 1993-1997 in North Carolina and Iowa), who were followed for a median of 12 y (interquartile range: 11-13). Shingles was self-reported at enrollment and at follow-up. We evaluated ever-use of 48 agricultural pesticides reported at study enrollment in relation to shingles risk and considered exposure-response for intensity-weighted lifetime days (IWLDs) of use. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for state, and allowing estimates to vary by median attained age (60 y).ResultsIncident shingles was reported by 590 participants. Associations were positive (HRs>1.2) for ever- vs. never-use of eight insecticides, three fumigants, two fungicides, and five herbicides, and exposure-response trends were seen across increasing quartiles (Q3 and Q4>Q1) or tertiles (T3 and T2>T1) of IWLDs for four insecticides [permethrin (crops), coumaphos, malathion, and lindane], two fumigants (carbon tetrachloride/carbon disulfide and methyl bromide), and three herbicides [alachlor, trifluralin (<60 years of age) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid]. Shingles was not associated with total years or days per year mixed or applied any pesticides, but in older participants, shingles was associated with a history of a high pesticide exposure event [HR=1.89 (95% CI: 1.45, 2.45)].ConclusionsSeveral specific pesticides were associated with increased risk of shingles in farmers, especially at higher levels of cumulative use. These novel findings, if replicated in other populations, could have broader implications for the potential effects of pesticides on vaccine efficacy and susceptibility to other infections. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7797.

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Dataset Information

High levels of pesticides found in illicit cannabis inflorescence compared to licensed samples in Canadian study using expanded 327 pesticides multiresidue method.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

High levels of pesticides found in illicit cannabis inflorescence compared to licensed samples in Canadian study using expanded 327 pesticides multiresidue method.

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