#72 Notable Clinical Interest
Emerging findings or policy developments worth monitoring closely.
If you are using cannabis purchased from a dispensary, you should know that passing a state lab test does not guarantee your product is free from all harmful mold species, which is especially important if you have a weakened immune system or chronic lung conditions.
Recent research highlights that cannabis products which have undergone remediation processes to address mold contamination may still harbor harmful fungal organisms that current state-mandated testing protocols fail to detect. This raises significant clinical concerns because immunocompromised patients and those with respiratory conditions may be unknowingly exposed to mycotoxins and viable mold spores, and the assumption that vaporization eliminates these contaminants appears to be unsupported by the evidence. Additionally, the connection between certain mold-related contaminants and cannabis hyperemesis syndrome warrants further investigation and clinician awareness.
“We have been telling patients that regulated cannabis is safe because it is tested, but if the testing does not screen for the organisms actually making people sick, then we are offering false reassurance and that needs to change immediately.”
🔬 New research raises serious questions about whether remediated cannabis products are truly safe from mold contamination, even after passing state-mandated testing. The concern is that current lab protocols do not screen for the specific fungal species most likely to cause illness, particularly in immunocompromised patients and those with respiratory vulnerability. Perhaps most alarming is evidence suggesting that vaporization temperatures are insufficient to neutralize these organisms, undermining a safety assumption many clinicians and patients have relied on. The potential connection between residual mold contaminants and cannabis hyperemesis syndrome adds another layer of clinical urgency. ️ Until testing standards catch up with the science, clinicians should be counseling at-risk patients about these limitations and considering product sourcing as part of the clinical conversation.
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