Michigan Orders Cannabis Recall Over Licked Joints

State regulators in Michigan issued a recall order for pre-rolled joints sold at more than a dozen retailers over reports that an employee in a marijuana processing facility licked the products as they were being made. The recall order covers cannabis pre-rolls manufactured by 3843 Euclid LLC, a Bay City company licensed by the state Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) as a processor for both medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis products.

In a Public Health and Safety Bulletin issued on August 6, the agency reported that the recall was being ordered after a confirmed complaint of pre-rolls contaminated with human saliva. State officials began an investigation of the facility on July 31 after the agency received a report that an employee was licking the joints while they were being made. The affected products are listed by brand and package identification number in the bulletin.

Customers who bought the pre-rolled joints were asked to return them to the place of purchase for collection and disposal. The MRA also instructed adult-use cannabis retailers and medical marijuana dispensaries, known as provisioning centers, to notify their customers and patients of the recall. The pre-rolls covered by the recall order were sold at several different retailers and provisioning centers between June and early August.

“Consumers who have these contaminated pre-rolls in their possession should return them to the provisioning center or retailer where they were purchased for proper disposal,” the MRA noted in the bulletin. “Provisioning centers must notify patients and caregivers who purchased these pre-rolls of the recall.

Processor’s License Suspended

State officials have issued a 14-day suspension of the license held by 3843 Euclid LLC pending further investigation. The MRA has also placed an administrative hold order on all products manufactured by the processor and identified as a pre-roll in the business’s inventory and the state’s cannabis product tracking system. The administrative hold order prohibits the sale or transfer of any of the affected products while the MRA completes its investigation of the matter.  After the hold order was issued, the company informed the MRA that it had voluntarily put a halt to all operations at the end of the business day on July 31 pending further instructions from the agency. 

The MRA did not include information about the health of the employee who had licked the pre-rolls or note if there is a threat of infection from the novel coronavirus or any other disease. The agency did, however, instruct any consumers who may have experienced any physical symptoms after using the affected products to notify their doctor and state regulators.

“Consumers who have experienced symptoms after using these products should report their symptoms and product use to their physician. Consumers are requested to report any adverse product reactions to the (Marijuana Regulatory Agency) via email” or by phone.

The order affects nearly 50 different pre-roll products by brand and cannabis strain. The retail outlets and provisioning centers that carried the pre-rolls under the recall order include 3843 Euclid LLC and The Shop Nature Relief Clinic in Bay City; Breeze USA in Hazel Park; Caregivers of Detroit; Core Canna in Traverse City; Exclusive Provisioning Centers in Ann Arbor; Green Square Holdings in Lansing; Greencare Provisioning Center and Herbology in River Rouge; Liv Wellness in Ferndale; Maivda Investments in Quincy; Meds Cafe in Lowell; The Fire Station LLC in Negaunee; and The Pier Provisioning Center in Lapeer, Michigan.

The MRA noted that the investigation is continuing and that future recall orders may still be issued.