There has been a lot of discussion in the cannabis industry concerning the use of radiation remediation. This is a process that uses radiation to, in layman’s terms, sterilize cannabis so it can pass the testing requirements set by the State of Michigan. The debate centers around how, and even if, cannabis growers should have to let their customers know if they nuke their products with radiation.
Using radiation for sterilization is not new. You may have seen a Radura on some of your food products. It’s a small symbol, often green, that is applied to food packaging that contains products nuked by radiation to kill off molds, pests, and microbes. This sterilization procedure is known as irradiation. The FDA says it’s safe to use on the things we eat. At the same time, they acknowledge that not everyone would eat irradiated food by choice. This is where the Radura comes in. If the food has irradiated components, the symbol needs to appear on the package so the consumer knows.
Irradiation is also a common remediation practice employed within the cannabis industry. In today’s highly regulated legal cannabis market, remediation is a process that is applied to “clean up” a cannabis harvest that hasn’t been able to pass the state compliance tests. Essentially, cannabis that fails its safety compliance tests at the lab can be treated to make it pass compliance testing on a second try. This product must be clearly marked as “remediated” and it is typically sold to labs for processing.
Here’s the catch. If a grower runs their cannabis through a radiation machine prior to sending it to the state labs for compliance testing, they do not have to disclose that they did this to the consumer.
Even though marijuana is grown and sold all across the country, the federal government still hasn’t made it legal. This means that the federal government hasn’t done any official testing or put out national guidelines for growing, testing, compliance, and remediation. That portion of regulation has been left up to the individual states.
Clean, high quality, exceptional cannabis, it turns out, is hard to grow. Because it’s a plant, it is susceptible to molds, bugs, and diseases. Because it is a legal, but controlled substance on the state level, most states, including Michigan, have put very rigorous testing in place to ensure that the product you purchase doesn’t have harmful levels of foreign substances. The growers have to figure out how to pass those tests.
MJ Verdant has decided to take the natural path. Our plants are grown in an exceptionally clean environment, with very tight environmental controls. We don’t have protocols in place just for light and nutrients, but also for natural, non-chemical processes that allow our product to pass rigorous testing without having to subject it to other harsh remediation methods.
Other growers have decided that they can take care of any possible compliance/testing issues after harvest. The simplest way to do this is to grow, harvest, and then nuke the cannabis with radiation to eliminate any unfriendly organisms. Then, once it is sterile, send it out to the lab to be tested. This works for testing, but not for the fact that mold can begin to grow again a few weeks later.
Cannabis irradiation is actually quite common in the industry. Limited studies have not shown any dangerous after-effects. We do know that irradiation does, however, alter terpene levels, and in many cases produce a drier, brown flower. What the studies say is that irradiation doesn’t seem to do anything really bad to cannabis. With so few studies having been done given the recency of its legal status, there has not yet been a definitive, long-term study that proves that the inhaled smoke from irradiated cannabis is exactly the same as natural cannabis.
The State of Michigan’s labeling rules does not require growers to tell their customers if the product they purchase has been irradiated. There has been an ongoing debate over labeling between producers and the state but lately, consumers are also being heard. In March 2022, mlive.com ran an article about how growers, consumers, advocacy groups, and the State of Michigan are approaching the issue.
MJ Verdant has chosen to follow a natural growing process. By investing heavily in technology, an experienced and passionate growing team, and following the science within the growing process, MJ Verdant is able to grow, harvest, dry, and pass testing on products without resorting to harsh and unnatural remediation methods. We are able to achieve the same level of compliance as anyone else in the industry, with a cleaner, purer, and higher overall level of quality.
Why doesn’t everyone do this? In the simplest terms, it costs more and is much harder to do. Many companies take the easy way and just nuke their products instead of concentrating on a clean growing environment. They seem to think that if the consumer doesn’t care (or doesn’t know) about flower quality, then they don’t need to invest in a natural growing process.
With cannabis illegal on the federal level and no nationally coordinated labeling policies in place, Michigan has not made the Radura symbol a requirement of irradiated cannabis. This seems odd to us. If the federal government says irradiation for food is safe, but consumers have a right to make an informed choice, then why wouldn’t Michigan follow a similar standard with a product fully within its regulatory control?
It mostly comes down to marketing and pressure on the state from large operations that use radiation to remediate their product. If a big grower has the choice between putting a radiation symbol on their product versus not, they will always choose not to. This effectively leaves the concept of informed choice in the wrong hands.
Some growers choose to irradiate, MJ Verdant is one that doesn’t. Shouldn’t the buyer, who is shelling out their hard-earned money and who will be inhaling the smoke, be the one who gets to choose if they want an irradiated or wholly natural product? Shouldn’t the choice to purchase natural versus irradiated cannabis be in your hands? We certainly think so.
We are still at a point where Michigan is figuring out how they want to go forward. The large growers have the access and ability to dominate the discussion at the regulatory level. At MJ Verdant, we believe that it’s the customer that should be in control of this conversation. Now is the time to let the State know what you want before their regulations get set in stone.
Do you want to be heard? Contact your local representatives and let them know how you feel about radiation being used to “clean” your cannabis.