Massachusetts Regulators Alert Public About “Contaminated Products”

CCC issues “health and safety advisory due to the identification of contaminated and potentially contaminated” cannabis flower and prerolls


The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission “is informing consumers and patients about new health and safety concerns regarding marijuana products produced by two separate licensees that may have been sold recently by Marijuana Establishments and Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers.”

The affected products were sold under the brand names Strane and Garcia Hand Picked, while flower and prerolls sold by multiple third-party retailers with the strain names Tiger’s Eye and Slap N Tickle also fall under the Feb. 3 health and safety advisory. You can find the lists of specific products and the retailers where they were sold here and here.

According to the CCC, “In one instance, marijuana products passed required testing between March and June 2024, but additional compliance testing ordered by the Commission found yeast and mold and coliforms above acceptable limits according to Commission regulations. The potentially contaminated products that failed compliance testing were sold by Marijuana Retailers and Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers between May 31, 2024, and Jan. 23, 2025.

“In another instance, marijuana products passed required testing between August and September 2024, but additional compliance testing ordered by the Commission found yeast and mold above acceptable limits according to the Commission regulations. The potentially contaminated products that failed compliance testing were sold by Marijuana Retailers between Sept. 18, 2024, and Jan. 30, 2025.”

The enforcement action prior to the public health advisory

Last May, the CCC announced that it had reached an agreement with multi-state operator Holistic Industries in April 2024 regarding “a mold issue of some kind [that] was known to exist at the facility since at least November 2020.” Said mold was “verified to be remediated entirely on May 3, 2022,” but had reportedly been present everywhere from “certain tables used to process marijuana,” to “growing rooms of the [Monson] facility,” to “office spaces, drains, HVAC systems, and structural elements.”

Stipulated remedies in the case included a mandate for Holistic Industries to “Engage a third-party Independent Testing Laboratory (ITL) acceptable to both the Commission and the Respondent, to perform all required microbial testing for Marijuana flower” for six months from the date of the order, along with a $200,000 fine.

Holistic Industries manufactures Strane and Garcia Hand Picked in Massachusetts. According to a CCC notice released with Monday’s enforcement-related announcement, the affected products—all flower or prerolls, in multiple strains—were sold at more than 30 medical and retail shops across the state.

In a statement, Holistic Industries General Counsel Kyle Crossley said, “Consumer safety and product quality are our top priorities – so much so that we only sell organic flower that is not irradiated, unlike many other operators in the Commonwealth. Although all recalled product previously passed the CCC-mandated testing before being sold and, as the CCC notice said, there have been zero reports of any consumer health issues, we are honoring the product recall.”

Crossley continued, “This product was fully compliant with all of the rules and regulations set forth by the CCC; however, the circumstances that led to this product recall shed light on the need for standardized testing methodologies and the negative impact the lab infighting, and the CCC’s choice to side with certain labs without making formal rule changes, has on operators, consumers and the entire cannabis program.”

You can read the full statement from Holistic Industries here.

What to do if you purchased a potentially contaminated product

According to the CCC, “The Commission has taken steps to prevent further sales of the potentially contaminated products through Metrc, a third-party regulatory cannabis system to track every plant from seed to sale in Massachusetts.” The Jan. 3 media release continues:

The Commission requires all licensees to test Marijuana and Marijuana Products for their cannabinoid profile and contaminants of concern. Thresholds for Total Yeast and Mold can be found in Exhibit 6 of the Protocol for the Sampling and Analysis of Finished Marijuana Products and Marijuana Products for Marijuana Establishments, Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and Colocated Marijuana Operations. Massachusetts maintains higher yeast and mold thresholds than many other states with Adult-Use marijuana.

To date, no related illnesses have been reported to the Commission. A full list of products and locations where they were sold can be found here and here. All marijuana offered for retail sale in Massachusetts must include a label on the product packaging that indicates the batch number. Consumers and Patients should check their product label for the batch numbers under “Product Information.”

Consumers and Patients that possess any of the affected products may destroy them or return them to the store or treatment center where they were purchased for disposal. Contact the Marijuana Establishment or Medical Marijuana Treatment Center where the products were purchased for more information.

This story is developing. Stay tuned to Talking Joints Memo for more, including coverage of the link between these enforcement actions and a recent lawsuit filed by MCR Labs against eight other Massachusetts Independent Testing Labs for “violations” of the state’s cannabis law, “intentional interference with advantageous business relations,” and “unjust enrichment.”