Maine Says Medical Marijuana Should Be Pesticide Free!

The evidence-based science proving medical marijuana is beneficial for a multitude of debilitating diseases, yet one cultivation center in Maine insists the application of toxic pesticides should be allowed.

Workers at the Wellness Connection dispensary in Thomaston reported the blatant violations to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services after management ignored several warnings. As a result of the Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services (DLRS) investigation, a plethora of other violations was discovered at the Wellness Connection’s cultivation center, along with 4 other dispensaries around the state.

The Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services sites more than 20 violations of state rules governing the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana. According to their report the Wellness Connection has agreed to comply with regulators or face being shut down. The most outrageous of the violations was the use of 9 chemical pesticides on the medical marijuana. So far one patient death has been reported as a result of pesticide contamination in California, which was a “direct result of inhaling medical marijuana tainted with pesticides.”

Now patients are concerned by a decision by Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services to access confidential patient information from the Wellness Connection’s files. A 2011 Maine law eliminated the requirement for medical marijuana patients to register with the state thanks to lobbying efforts by the MMCM and the ACLU to support the right of patient confidentiality.