PORTLAND, Maine — For the first time in Maine, select adult-use cannabis products are being recalled after a state audit.
Four products, one strain of adult-use cannabis flower and three strains of adult-use pre-rolls, are being recalled due to a failure of yeast and mold during testing.
All of the products were produced by Cannabis Cured and were sold in eight different stores across Maine from Aug. 27 through Sept. 9.
"The track and trace system in the adult use program has been integral to making sure the recall in this case is isolated and targeted only to the products that we know tested positive for mold," Office of Cannabis Policy Director John Hudak said. "Without that system in place, the recall may have been more [broad]."
An investigation is now underway regarding the recalled products.
Adult use cannabis products are required by the State of Maine to undergo regulatory testing through one of a handful of state-appointed labs.
One of which is Nova Analytic Labs in Portland. COO Barry Chaffin says while it's not uncommon for products to fail testing, their team often works with producers to prevent failures in the future.
"We look at ourselves as being a partner to our clients. When they succeed, we succeed," Chaffin said. "If they were to have a particular failure in a class of contaminant, like heavy metals... we go on-site, we help them track down the source of that contamination."
Team members at Nova Analytic Labs are currently researching why certain tests fail for mold specifically and what sort of molds are commonly present here in Maine in hopes to help producers steer clear of them in the future.
In a statement sent to NEWS CENTER Maine, Cannabis Cured CEO Samuel Crockett said:
Before anything is placed on a shelf at Cannabis Cured, every item must have successfully met all of Maine’s rigorous quality and safety standards. All of the recently recalled products had a certificate of analysis showing that standards had been met. During a subsequent audit test conducted by the state, a portion of the products that they tested continued to meet state standards, while a portion did not. When the state informed us of the new test results, we immediately removed these products from stores and stopped sales. Cannabis Cured puts safety and product quality above all else – all customers may seek refund or a replacement product at any of our adult use retail store locations.