The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) issued a patient advisory for medical cannabis concentrate that contains unsafe levels of butane.
The affected product, labeled "Deep Sea," was sold by Ganja World, a registered caregiver providing delivery service to several towns in central Maine.
OCP said it received a complaint in late August from two patients experiencing adverse health reactions from cannabis concentrate purchased from Ganja World. The agency conducted an investigation that included testing the concentrate alleged to have caused the adverse reaction. Those test results showed too much butane, a residual solvent. OCP took an additional sample of that strain from Ganja World’s operations facility as part of its investigation. Those test results also showed unsafe levels of butane.
Inhaling cannabis containing unsafe levels of butane may cause respiratory irritation with symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, headache, hoarseness, and/or nose and throat pain.
OCP said it does not have authority under Maine law to issue a recall in the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Program, unlike the Office’s authority to issue recalls in the Adult Use Cannabis Program or to require removal of products prior to administrative penalty, suspension, or revocation. The medical program is also not subject to the same mandatory inventory tracking or contaminant testing requirements as the adult use program. As such, OCP is limited in the amount of information and detail it can provide in this advisory compared to its adult use cannabis recall notices.
- Like other medical cannabis and cannabis products in Maine, none of the concentrate sold by Ganja World was required to be tested for contaminants, and none had been.
- OCP does not believe there is any remaining concentrate from the affected “Deep Sea” batch available for sale through Ganja World, as it has been removed for the purposes and duration of the pending investigation.
- OCP continues to investigate this incident with the desire to identify sources of contamination in the manufacturing process. If OCP can definitively determine the manufacturer of the contaminated product, additional information will be provided.
