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March 24, 2017 CapitalPress.com 9 Oregon High pesticide level prompts pot recall By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press The Oregon Liquor Con- trol Commission issued its first recall of recreational mar- ijuana after testing of a brand sold at a Mapleton, Ore., store showed it contained a level of pesticide residue that exceeds the state limit. The OLCC, which over- sees retail sales of recreation- al cannabis, said samples of Blue Magoo marijuana failed a test for pyrethin levels. Py- rethins are a mixture of six chemicals that are toxic to insects, according to the Na- tional Pesticide Information Center based at Oregon State University. Pyrethins are found in some chrysanthe- mum flowers, and in some cases can be used on organic products. The recall points out some Eric Mortenson/Capital Press Oregon issued a recall for cannabis buds sold at a Mapleton, Ore., retailer after testing showed it had a higher level of a pesticide than the state standard. The cannabis pictured was on display at a February industry conference in Portland. of the complications that ac- company the legalization of recreational cannabis. Grow- ers, like all other agricultural producers, now face a regu- latory structure they may not have dealt with before. Pesticide use has been particularly thorny, because the federal government still considers cannabis illegal and has not established allowable tolerances of pesticides in pot. As a result, states that have legalized cannabis are figur- ing it out themselves. Oregon tests cannabis for 59 active ingredients. “It’s a big struggle, for sure,” said Sunny Jones, can- nabis policy coordinator for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The Oregon Health Au- thority oversees medical mar- ijuana, OLCC oversees recre- ational marijuana, and ODA regulates aspects that range from food safety regarding cannabis edibles to pesticides, water quality issues and com- mercial scales used to weigh the product. The recalled pot was grown by Emerald Wave Estate, based in Creswell, Ore., and sold at Buds 4 U in Mapleton, a small town west of Eugene. The OLCC said people who bought the pot should dispose of it or return it to the retailer. Mark Pettinger, spokes- man for OLCC, said the re- tailer has fully cooperated in the recall. It sold 82.5 grams of Blue Magoo to 31 custom- ers from March 8 through March 10. The store noticed the failed pesticide reading in the state’s Cannabis Track- ing System on March 10 and immediately notified OLCC, Pettinger said. “The retailer was great,” he said. “They get the gold star.” Pesticide application would have been done at the grower level, which is the province of ODA. Pettinger said the distribution system breakdown occurred when a wholesaler, Cascade Canna- bis Distributing, of Eugene, shipped the pot to the Maple- ton store before pesticide test results were entered in the state’s tracking system. The testing was done by Green- Haus Analytical Labs, of Portland, which is certified by the state to test cannabis for potency, water content and pesticide residue. The mistake might qualify as a violation under Oregon administrative rules, Pettinger said. Failure to keep proper records is a Class III violation; the first offense is punishable by up to 10 days of business closure and a $1,650 fine. Four violations within a two-year period can lead to license re- vocation. The rest of the grower’s nine-pound batch of Blue Magoo marijuana flower has been placed on administrative hold, meaning it cannot be lawfully sold pending the out- come of additional pesticide testing. Pettinger said the pot is in the grower’s possession. Producers transitioning to organic say they need help to succeed By ERIC MORTENSON Online Capital Press It’s one of the conundrums of U.S. agriculture. Demand for organic products continues to surge — sales grew by 11 percent in 2015 — but produc- tion is flat. Researchers at Oregon State University and at Oregon Tilth, which certifies organ- ic producers, tried to find out why. Glimmers of answers came in a survey returned by 615 farmers nationally. Among other things, they identified obstacles that are holding back organic production. Chief among them, many said they would welcome farm- er-to-farmer help, need help with weed and pest manage- ment and believe the cost of certification and required pa- perwork are major obstacles. Farmers transitioning to organic said they would wel- come mentoring from experi- enced producers and one-on- on technical help. Surprisingly, “yield drag” — reduced crop production from fields that no longer are treated with synthet- ic pesticides or fertilizers — The report, “Breaking New Ground: Farmer Perspectives on Organic Transition” https://tilth.org/resources/ breakingground/ was not an issue with survey respondents. Only 17 percent listed it as a major obstacle; 32 percent said it was a minor obstacle and 51 percent said it was not an obstacle at all. Beyond technical issues, organic producers have pas- sion on their side. In the survey, 91 percent of respondents said organic production fits their personal or family values and nearly 87 percent it matches up with their environmental concern. More than 86 percent said organic production enhances farm sustainability and coin- cides with their concerns about human health. “It’s an interesting market- place thing,” said Garry Ste- phenson, director of Oregon State University’s Center for Small Farms & Communi- ty Food Systems. “Demand for certified organic products has continued to grow in the U.S., and yet the businesses involved are having a prob- lem sourcing organic crops — food, cotton, or whatever. For some reason, U.S. farmers are not responding to the demands of the marketplace.” Stephenson said the report may shape the university’s ap- proach to transitioning farm- ers. “There has not been an or- ganized OSU initiative to ed- ucate farmers on transitioning to organic certification,” he said by email. “Hopefully, this report may have some influ- ence.” Sarah Brown, education director for Oregon Tilth, said the certification agency is developing a mentorship program that will match be- ginners with producers who have successfully transitioned Joyce Capital, Inc. In agriculture, nothing is certain. Your interest rate should be. We offer competitive interest rates for your agricultural financing needs: • Term agricultural loans (purchases & refinances) • FSA Preferred Lender • Amortizations up to 25 years CONTACT: Kevin Arrien, or Joe Lodge at Joyce Capital, Inc. Agricultural Loan Agents (208) 338-1560 • Boise, ID to organic. The survey results also provide justification for weed management research, she agreed. Stephenson, of OSU, said the consistent identification of weed management as a ma- jor obstacle will motivate the university to adjust the focus of some of its programming and applied research. OSU is researching innovative “de- gree day” modeling as a weed management approach for 12 month waiver Stephenson said the data gave researchers access to pro- ducers they don’t often talk to: farmers who are in the process of transitioning. Research- ers broke respondents into four groups: Those who have transitioned; those who have started but not finished; those whose operations are split be- tween conventional and organ- ic; and those who began the organic certification process but quit. 3 years at 1.9% 5 years at 2.9% All financing on approved credit. See dealer for list of qualifying units for financing specials. 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