A second Canadian medical cannabis producer embroiled in a controversy over tainted marijuana is the target of a proposed class-action lawsuit by patients who unwittingly consumed prohibited pesticides.
According to the Globe and Mail, Mettrum, in addition to OrganiGram, was found selling MMJ containing pesticide myclobutanil, which emits hydrogen cyanide that, when lit, and can cause serious health problems.
A court must certify the proposed lawsuits targeting the federally licensed producers before they can proceed.
Both suits ask that the companies be made to reimburse patients’ money, as well as pay out damages. According to the Globe and Mail, the Mettrum suit is led by a Thunder Bay woman who unknowingly ingested contaminated marijuana.
The Globe and Mail reported that the finding of banned pesticides in MMJ has led to scrutiny of Health Canada’s oversight of the newly formed medical cannabis market. The regulator doesn’t require MMJ firms to prove product safety through regular tests or that products don’t contain unauthorized pesticides.
Health Canada has said it will perform random testing following the reports of contaminated cannabis.
