The Oregon Department of Agriculture has identified 250 pesticides that marijuana producers are permitted to use on their crops, according to the Oregonian.
The list of permitted pesticides will be posted on the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s website in January.
It will include pesticides considered to pose “minimal risk to human health” per standards set by the federal government, which sets national pesticide policy.
Pesticide use has been a major obstacle for commercial growers, whose crops can be ruined by a variety of threats, such as powdery mildew, mites and other pests.
But as states begin to regulate what kind of pesticides growers can use, some have found themselves afoul of new rules. The situation also has upset consumers who want assurances that their cannabis is pesticide-free, and one Colorado retailer is already facing a lawsuit tied to pesticide use.
The Oregon Health Authority has also issued rules – which will take effect next year – mandating that any legal marijuana sold must be tested by state-accredited labs for nearly 60 pesticides commonly used in cannabis cultivation.
