Third lawsuit launched in Canada over tainted medical marijuana

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A third proposed class-action lawsuit over pesticide-laden medical marijuana in Canada raises additional questions about Health Canada’s claim that people who consumed the tainted cannabis weren’t becoming ill.

According to The Globe and Mail, the Nova Scotia man listed in the new proposed class action allegedly became violently ill after consuming medical marijuana he purchased from Mettrum, one of two federally licensed MMJ cultivators caught up in the pesticide-related legal actions.

The Nova Scotia man’s claims haven’t been proved in court and are similar to those detailed in two separate proposed class actions, one also targeting Mettrum and the other OrganiGram.

The Globe and Mail reported that a group of veterans is also amassing a file of evidence detailing illnesses after exposure to tainted products. Their symptoms allegedly include becoming bedridden, nausea and breathing difficulties.

The banned pesticides in the proposed class actions include myclobutanil and bifenazate, which aren’t approved for use on cannabis and haven’t undergone safety testing for humans, according to The Globe and Mail.

A court must certify the proposed class-action lawsuits before they can go forward. Canopy Growth Corp., which bought Mettrum at the start of the year, and OrganiGram have vowed to fight the allegations.