MD orders medical cannabis products quarantined without explanation

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission issued a formal hold on all products from one of the state’s licensed medical marijuana growers, prohibiting those goods from being sold until further notice. But the agency hasn’t given a clear reason for its decision.

According to The Washington Post, cultivation company ForwardGro’s products were placed on an “administrative hold” on Oct. 7, forcing all of Maryland’s 69 dispensaries to quarantine the grower’s MMJ as a “precautionary measure.”

Dispensaries were told “follow-up instructions will be forthcoming in the future,” but to date there’s been no word as to when the hold may be lifted, the Post reported.

The hold was issued after allegations this summer by three former employees that ForwardGro was using potentially dangerous pesticides in the growing process, which the company denied.

A cannabis commission spokeswoman declined to tell the Post why the hold was ordered but said that the panel has the power to take such steps if it has a “reasonable suspicion” there could be a risk to public health.

A ForwardGro spokeswoman told the Post that the company is cooperating with the commission and is hoping the issue will be resolved shortly.

“All ForwardGro’s products have passed pesticide testing by an independent, state-approved lab, and ForwardGro remains committed to providing patients in Maryland with quality medical cannabis,” the company’s Vicki Bendure told the newspaper.