Host Intro
Recent industry rumors have raised concerns about New York’s cannabis market. More specifically - allegations of lab fraud to make consumers think that cannabis products are stronger than they are. Reporter Zhuoya Ma asks: in an industry full of rumors, how do we know what to trust?
MA: I want to introduce you to a college senior. He’s a New Yorker. I’m not going to tell you his name. Because at times he’s smoked weed, and he’s worried what future employers might think. But when he was using weed, he wasn’t worried about where it came from.
SOURCE: For a long time, I didn't even care about that. I would buy my weed from some guy out of his van. And I'm sure he wasn't putting it through high-quality testing.
MA: But, he says, he started paying attention.
SOURCE: It’s easier to not buy from dispensaries because it’s cheaper if you’re just buying from some smoke shop or some guy but I definitely started buying from actual dispensaries. They're more trustworthy, if they were to sort of lie on their lab testing results and all that, they'd actually face real consequences, you would hope.
MA: Lawsuits alleging fraud have been filed against cannabis testing labs in Massachusetts. In California, there have been problems with dangerous pesticide-tainted vapes. Now, there are industry rumors of problems here too. About brands inflating the percentage of THC on packages.
Swapnil Patel, is the owner of The Flowery, a licensed dispensary on the Upper West Side. It’s filled with colorful balloons and giant LED screens with the store’s logo. He says he’s heard the rumors, but they’re false. And products sold by licensed dispensaries like his are safe.
PATEL : Pick any product.
Ma: I have no idea.
MA: New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management requires cannabis products sold at licensed dispensaries include a label with a QR Code and link that lets consumers see a list of ingredients,
Patel: Just pick anything, anything.
Ma: Can you show me the vape?
Patel: Sure. Here's one right there. So here's the QR code that comes on every package.
MA: Ingredient lists can include microorganisms, heavy metals, pesticides, or other contaminants.
LaMott Jackson is New York’s first certified “Ganjier”. Like a sommelier, but for cannabis instead of wine. Jackson was too busy for an audio interview. He said in an email that he wants to see a national standard for testing. Now, cannabis labs in different states follow different rules. so Jackson said they can report different THC percentages - in the same product.
When asked what standards New York labs follow, the Office of Cannabis Management spokesperson, didn’t provide a direct response but did recommend keeping up with updates on their website.
Zhuoya Ma, Columbia Radio News.
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