In a state where the illegal marijuana market is still much larger than the legal one, the biggest selling point for consumers is that pricier legal cannabis products are tested, regulated and safe.
But a recent investigation by The Times and WeedWeek found that this is not necessarily true.
More than half the legal cannabis products purchased from retail stores as part of the project and tested at private labs showed concentrations of pesticides either above levels the state allows or at levels that exceed federal standards for tobacco. (There are no federal standards for cannabis; it remains illegal under federal law.) The tests found chemicals tied to cancer, liver failure, thyroid disease and genetic and neurological harm to users and their unborn children.
