If you’ve had any experience with Colorado’s recreational and medical marijuana program, then you know there is no playing around when it comes to quality assurance testing. Any presence of pesticides, fungicides, mildew, mold or other contaminants will prevent your products from being sold in a dispensary or processed by a vendor in the creation of concentrates and edibles. California is close behind. 2018 is the year California will mandate the testing of all cannabis products sold either recreationally or medically. This is good news for cannabis patients who are currently at high risk for exposure to unsafe levels of pesticides.
A startling result from Steep Hill Labs revealed that 65% of medical marijuana in the San Francisco area contained levels of residual fungicides that are unsafe for human consumption. California’s new recreational bill, Prop 64 or AUMA, would bring that statistic to 0%. Just like in Colorado, there would be a zero-tolerance policy for the presence of any fungicides and pesticides in cannabis samples that were intending to be sold to vendors for manufacturing or dispensaries for distribution to end users.
What makes fungicides in cannabis so dangerous?
The fungicide that Steep Hill found in that study was Myclobutanil. This is an incredibly common fungicide; it is regularly used all across California on almonds, strawberries, and grapes. It’s regarded to be a “general use pesticide” and thought by the scientific community at large to be generally safe. So, what makes this fungicide so dangerous in the cannabis domain? The fact that in order to activate THC you must heat it plays a major role. Myclobutanil converts into Hydrogen Cyanide (a Schedule 3 substance under the Chemical Weapons Convention) when heat is applied.
That means that if you are smoking a joint that has residual Myclobutanil from when it was grown, then you are indeed inhaling Hydrogen Cyanide and effectively eliminating any of the health benefits of marijuana. That is sincerely devastating news. For a plant that has such a vast array of medical uses to be imposing damage on its consumer is a sincere tragedy. Even the tobacco industry has banned the used of Myclobutanil for this very reason!
If you are smoking a joint that has residual Myclobutanil from when it was grown, then you are inhaling Hydrogen Cyanide
This is really bad news for cannabis consumers in California (and all those who partake in the golden state’s goods). Hydrogen Cyanide is a deadly chemical. Myclobutanil is an example of an inorganic fungicide. It is a triazole chemical that, when heated, decomposes into hydrogen cyanide, as mentioned above, and carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen chloride as well as other nitrogen oxides. Myclobutanil is banned for use in the production of marijuana in Canada, Washington, and Oregon in addition to the aforementioned Colorado. Hopefully, other states will follow California’s inevitable ban of Myclobutanil.
On the flip side, no one wants to light up mold/fungus ridden weed. Thus, an alternative to Myclobutanil is needed. Enter Pathogen Zero.
Pathogen Zero eliminates the need for inorganic fungicides
Pathogen Zero brings the art of growing cannabis back to the domain where it belongs: from the earth. Pathogen Zero’s proprietary blend is simultaneously a fungicide, anti-viral, anti-parsitice, anti-pathogen, and bactericide. Unlike Myclobutanil, Pathogen Zero is organic, non-GMO, eco-friendly, bio-degradable, non-toxic, and non-irritating. When we first hear about Pathogen Zero, we thought it had to be too good to be true! And then we thought about how amazing cannabis is and how that comes straight from the earth, as-is. Pathogen Zeros is the same; all their ingredients are derived from natural sources with no added chemical, drugs, or alcohol. Pathogen Zero say it best themselves: “Pathogen Zero is nature’s answer to the use of chemicals”.
Pathogen Zero has been proven effective in treating powdery/downy mildew, Botrytis, Fasarium wilt, Pythium, yeast, Pseudomonas, E. coli, salmonella, grey mold, penicillum, and 100’s more! Given that Pathogen Zero can be applied during all phases of the grow cycle, it becomes a one-stop-shop for any and all cannabis growers looking for a safe and incredibly effective fungicide.
Here’s the best part! If you have a moldy batch of cannabis that won’t pass microbial testing, you can literally dump your moldy nugs and Pathogen Zero will kill mold on contact, allowing you to pass microbial testing and deliver a safe, consumable product to your consumers. Of course, the best path is to used Pathogen Zero during your grow so as to prevent any pathogens in the first place!
If you are serious about being a grower anywhere where cannabis is becoming legitimized and you genuinely care about the health of your end-smoker, then you need to check out Pathogen Zero.
WoahStork advocates for healthy and safe access to medical marijuana. We are 100% in favor of any and all legislation that prevents tragedies like the current one in California: tens of thousands of California medical marijuana patients are inhaling cyanide on a daily basis. We hope that more companies are founded with an ethos similar to that of Pathogen Zero’s. Such a beautiful plant deserves nothing but the best that mother nature has to offer, not chemicals that have been poorly researched yet used prolifically. Whether you are looking to grow for the benefit of medical marijuana patients or hoping to profit off an exploding industry, I implore you to do your due diligence and keep the health and wellness of the end consumer at the forefront of your minds.
Please share and spread the knowledge in this article so as to promote the responsible growing and use of marijuana.
And what are the products of heat decomposition in Pathogen Zero?