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Missouri health department investigating complaint of ‘mold growth’ on medical marijuana
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) decided to forgo appealing the ruling, announcing Tuesday that it had reached a settlement with the jilted applicant to end the litigation and award medical marijuana cultivation licenses (Getty Images).
Update: On Thursday, the Department of Health and Senior Services announced that after retesting the batch in question, it “found no evidence that the product batch presents a health and safety concern.”
Days after the first legal sales of medical marijuana in Missouri, the Department of Health and Senior Services announced it’s investigating a complaint that “mold growth” was found in a product at a state-licensed dispensary this weekend.
Despite passing initial testing before it was sold, additional laboratory tests will be run as part of the investigation.
A DHSS spokesperson told the Springfield News-Leader, the batch in question was sold from N’Bliss Cannabis in the St. Louis region.
Sales have been halted on the remaining product and customers have been instructed not to consume it until the investigation is complete. The over 200 customers who also purchased the product have not reported any issues, according to a news release.
Facilities and customers associated with the reported batch were notified through the “seed-to-sale track and trace requirements” outlined in the Missouri Constitution.
“The track and trace system is greatly aiding our team in this investigation and allowing us to quickly identify and notify all who may be impacted by this particular batch,” Lyndall Fraker, the director of the DHSS Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation, said in a statement. “A well-regulated program allows for this type of quick action so that we can protect patients.”
Any customers who experience an adverse reaction should seek medical attention and contact the DHSS Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation, according to the news release.
In a historic step, the first sales of legal medical marijuana took place this weekend — nearly two years after voters first approved the program in November 2018. In all, 192 dispensaries were licensed by the state and DHSS expects most to open by the end of the year, according to a Saturday news release.
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