Steep Hill
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Do you know what’s in your cannabis? You should, and Steep Hill Lab wants you to – one of the analytical services that our lab offers is safety screening for contaminants such as pesticides. Screening for these chemicals is so important because many of them are under-researched. Steep Hill currently provides testing up to 66 pesticides, and we’re going to get into the nitty-gritty of 3 common pesticides. This way, you’ll know exactly what is (or isn’t) in your cannabis. Let’s break it down:
Bifenthrin
Bifenthrin is an insecticide with allowable residues in crops. The EPA classifies Bifenthrin as a possible human carcinogen and is shown in animal studies to have endocrine-disrupting properties at higher concentrations. With cannabis, it is commonly used to “bomb” indoor grow rooms to kill spider mites between cultivation cycles. Inhaling high levels of bifenthrin can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs. People who ate large amounts of bifenthrin experienced a sore throat, nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting almost immediately.
Imidacloprid
Imidacloprid is an insecticide created to mimic nicotine. Considered “moderately hazardous” by the WHO, the National Pesticide Information Center says it’s moderately toxic if ingested or inhaled. Farmworkers with direct exposure to the insecticide reported skin or eye irritation, dizziness, breathlessness, confusion, or vomiting after exposure to pesticides containing imidacloprid. Pet owners have sometimes had skin irritation after they applied flea control products containing imidacloprid to their pets.
Myclobutanil
Myclobutanil is a fungicide considered “slightly hazardous” by the World Health Organization. Myclobutanil is especially prevalent in the cannabis community because it releases highly toxic gases if heated past its boiling point of 205°C (400°F). Butane lighters, such as those used to ignite marijuana for consumption, produce temperatures exceeding 450°C. These toxic gases include hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, and nitrogen oxide. For this reason, Myclobutanil is strictly forbidden by law on cannabis crops in most countries.
Many US-based growers have reverted to non-chemical crop protection technologies, such as germicidal UV against powdery mildew and Botrytis, to avoid its hazardous effects.
Keep in mind that many of these chemicals’ concentration determines whether they affect humans, which is why it’s important to test for them. Suppose the chemicals are maintained at a safe and controlled concentration, which Steep Hill tests down to the part per million. In that case, it is unlikely that they will be harmful to humans.
This month, Steep Hill is promoting its pesticide testing kits! Visit this link to learn more: https://linktr.ee/steephill
Bifenthrin
Bifenthrin is an insecticide with allowable residues in crops. The EPA classifies Bifenthrin as a possible human carcinogen and is shown in animal studies to have endocrine-disrupting properties at higher concentrations. With cannabis, it is commonly used to “bomb” indoor grow rooms to kill spider mites between cultivation cycles. Inhaling high levels of bifenthrin can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs. People who ate large amounts of bifenthrin experienced a sore throat, nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting almost immediately.
Imidacloprid
Imidacloprid is an insecticide created to mimic nicotine. Considered “moderately hazardous” by the WHO, the National Pesticide Information Center says it’s moderately toxic if ingested or inhaled. Farmworkers with direct exposure to the insecticide reported skin or eye irritation, dizziness, breathlessness, confusion, or vomiting after exposure to pesticides containing imidacloprid. Pet owners have sometimes had skin irritation after they applied flea control products containing imidacloprid to their pets.
Myclobutanil
Myclobutanil is a fungicide considered “slightly hazardous” by the World Health Organization. Myclobutanil is especially prevalent in the cannabis community because it releases highly toxic gases if heated past its boiling point of 205°C (400°F). Butane lighters, such as those used to ignite marijuana for consumption, produce temperatures exceeding 450°C. These toxic gases include hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, and nitrogen oxide. For this reason, Myclobutanil is strictly forbidden by law on cannabis crops in most countries.
Many US-based growers have reverted to non-chemical crop protection technologies, such as germicidal UV against powdery mildew and Botrytis, to avoid its hazardous effects.
Keep in mind that many of these chemicals’ concentration determines whether they affect humans, which is why it’s important to test for them. Suppose the chemicals are maintained at a safe and controlled concentration, which Steep Hill tests down to the part per million. In that case, it is unlikely that they will be harmful to humans.
This month, Steep Hill is promoting its pesticide testing kits! Visit this link to learn more: https://linktr.ee/steephill