New Mexico: Moldy Medical Cannabis Products Face Recall, Here's What Customers Need To Know

A local medical cannabis company in New Mexico is facing a product recall as per an order from the state Cannabis Control Division (CCD), which found higher than acceptable amounts of mold in Sacred Garden's cannabis flower, pre-rolls, and food products reported Albuquerque Journal.

The cannabis company, which has stores in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Ruidoso and Santa Fe, had initially passed pre-sale tests.

However, following a tip from a medical cannabis patient who allegedly received a moldy cannabis flower, the CCD performed a site visit and obtained samples from the company's retail establishment.

According to the CCD, "Snow Cone" and "Protégé '78" strains had mold levels of 35,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram.

The CCD is now calling for those who purchased these strains from Sacred Garden in the past month to check for lot numbers listed here and to either dispose of or return their products with those numbers. 

A Burgeoning Cannabis Market

In April 2021, New Mexico became the latest state to legalize adult-use cannabis after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Cannabis Regulation Act. Some two months later, the law took effect, allowing each adult New Mexican to legally possess, use and grow recreational cannabis, including six plants or up to 12 in a household with more than one adult.

U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union First In Nation In Cannabis Banking

In December, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that New Mexico-based U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union was the first financial institution in the country to become certified for outstanding U.S. monetary banking protocols in banking cannabis and hemp operation.

"The marijuana industry will soon be exploding in New Mexico, and it is important to have banking safeguards to mitigate illicit and criminal conduct, Balderas said at the time. "This is an important first step in partnering with legally compliant businesses in the marketplace."

Government Loans

To fuel the market growth, the state recently introduced a $5 million loan program - dubbed The Cannabis Microbusiness Loan Program - designed to provide affordable lines of credit to licensed cannabis establishments, focusing on those operated by members of communities disproportionately impacted by previous cannabis law enforcement or located in rural communities.

Most recently, Unity Rd., the national cannabis dispensary franchise from Item 9 Labs Corp. INLB, signed an agreement to bring three shops to the Land of Enchantment.

Photo: Courtesy of  Patrick Hendry on Unsplash