StayCon Marijuana Company Recalls Dozens of Contaminated Products

Key Points:

• Colorado marijuana vape manufacturer StayCon is recalling 49 products, including Maui Wowie and Grape Gorilla vapes, due to contamination with methylene chloride, a chemical linked to cancer and banned by the EPA for most uses.
• The recall follows delays in Colorado’s implementation of expanded testing rules designed to detect methylene chloride and other harmful solvents, which were supposed to begin in July but have been postponed until the end of this month.
• A third-party lab detected the contamination six weeks before the recall and alerted both StayCon and state regulators, but the state has yet to issue a public alert, citing ongoing investigations.
• Regulatory loopholes in Colorado have allowed contaminated marijuana products to remain on shelves for extended periods, with manufacturers still allowed to choose samples for testing and the labs conducting tests, despite earlier plans to change these rules being abandoned.
• Methylene chloride is used to chemically convert hemp into THC, a process banned under Colorado law, but the lack of stringent testing and enforcement has allowed such unsafe products to enter the marijuana market.