Critters in legal weed have no ‘ill effects;’ used to prevent infestations: RedeCan

A licenced marijuana producer that recalled an entire strain of its weed after some Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) customers complained that it contained mould is now trying to ease fears after online reports that bugs were found in some of its buds.

RedeCan told CityNews on Friday that it uses a tiny predatory mite called persimilis to prevent crop-destroying spider mite infestations and that “on a microscopic level it is possible that this could be on our product.”

“We stand behind our product and our organic type of way of growing,” RedeCan President and Master grower Rick Redecop told CityNews during a tour of its Pelham Ont., facility on Friday.

“We know that this does not have any sort of ill effects. It is actually a safer product because we don’t use things like pesticides.”

An article on Leafly, which bills itself as the world’s largest cannabis information resource, describes how some marijuana growers turn to “beneficial insects” to protect crops from contamination. “Beneficial insects can be used as a preventative measure or for treating outbreaks, saving growers from having to resort to harmful or illegal pesticides,” the article explained.

On Thursday, RedeCan said it was recalling an entire strain of its marijuana, not because of bugs, but over allegations that some of its product had become mouldy.

The company told 680 NEWS that it had received five complaints related to its dried marijuana strain called B.E.C. which is sold through the OCS website.

Some RedeCan customers posted photos of what appear to be mouldy RedeCan buds online.

Third party testing is currently underway to test for mould.

Even though the company said it has only received a handful of complaints related to a single lot, it decided to voluntarily recall every single lot of the B.E.C. strain.

“We could say that we have only received five complaints out of 500,000 units sold,” the company wrote in a release Thursday. “But even one complaint is too many.”

“RedeCan is voluntarily requesting the return, not only of Lot B.E.C. 4B2L3, but of all units of the B.E.C. brand, being every lot of this strain that it has shipped. We will be working with OCS on the logistics of how to best do this, and we will make a further announcement in this regard,” the company said in a release on Thursday.

The OCS told 680 NEWS that it was aware of the complaints about mould and is taking the “necessary steps to address these issues.”

Federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas vowed to look into the matter, saying that “protecting the health and safety of Canadians is my number one priority as Health Minister…”

Licenced producers are required by Health Canada to test their products for mould and other microorganisms, and to package products in sealed containers.