Encanto Dispensary in Az Is Put On Blast: Makes the News for Mold

Encanto Green Cross is one of the oldest, and established dispensaries in Az. Last week some disgruntled ex-employees went to the news with complaints of mold in the facility, and mildew on the flower. They also say this highlights the need for higher standards in medical marijuana safety, and quality controls. The cannabis community in Az is rather small with only 120,000 card holding patients in the whole state so news like this travels like wildfire, and has everyone talking in every dispensary and hydro shop. It's also had an effect similar to the me too moment, with every person who's ever been fired from a grow, or dispensary claiming their ex-employers have illegalities happening in their facilities. I personally have visited dozens of facilities in the state and can attest that most have clean facilities, and reliable quality control protocols, but I've also seen some horrors like medicine covered in mildew being sold to patients. Something definatley needs to be done to ensure patients are receivingquality product.

My first reaction to this video was that the black mold in the walls is unacceptable. If it wasn't fixed immediately(which Encanto claims it was) then it could have been very dangerous. My second thought was that the CEO made himself seem incredibly suspicious, and came off as an asshole. The news coverage in my opinion was shady itself. They started off showing horrific pictures of black mold on the walls, then immediately started talking about mold on the flower leaving an uniformed viewer to believe the mold on the wall was the same mold on the flower, which simply is not true. There is a huge difference between black mold found on the wall which is deadly even with one puff, and the powdery mildew and yeast found on the flower which isn't healthy, but is found in small amounts on almost everything.

The laws here in Az do very little to ensure product with PM and pesticides aren't sold. Product is required to be tested by a third party for pesticides and impurities, but only at parts per million(PPM) when parts per billion(PPB) is whats really needed to ensure safe product. For mold and mildew, only a visual inspection is required. The laws here are focused on ensuring every single gram of cannabis cultivated in the state is taxed at a ridiculous rate before it makes it to the hands of the consumer. This is expected from a state that charges $300 for a medical card. They also make it near impossible for patients to grow their own medicine with ridiculous zoning laws forcing them to shop at expensive dispensaries that may or may not have contaminated product. The media has never been on our side here in Az. They waged a ruthless campaign full of lies, and slander in order to prevent our recreational cannabis bill from passing last year, so of course they will jump on board to expose a dispensary, and make the problem seem industry wide.

The most effective regulation for medical cannabis here in Az comes not from the state, but from the dispensaries, and the community. When a farm sells product to a dispensary generally the dispensary will test and scrutinize the product themselves, and the community is quick to put a company on blast for selling moldy product or using pesticides. Several grows are no longer around, and dozens of shady growers, and extractors have been shunned from the community some even leaving the state. Like I said before, we're a small community with big mouths, and we look out for each other. Farms won't sell contaminated product because they can't risk being blacklisted, not because the government worries them. Since I grow my own product, I rarely shop at dispensaries but when I do I go to one that is known for quality control like Mint dispensary in Tempe. Everyone knows if you send them PM flower once then they will never buy from you again. They advertise that they are scrupulous about their medicine so everyone knows they are safe.

Cannabis consumers need to be cautious. I don't think most realize how common mold and mildew are, or how often pesticides are used in the early vegetative stages of growth. It's scary how often cannabis from illegal grows is contaminated. Get to your medicine from a reliable source, and spend the money on quality. Your health isn't worth skimping on. Remember, you can't depend on the government to protect you from sketchy weed. You have to rely on yourself, and your community, and remember. Friends don't let friends smoke swag.

Keep it real steemit
-Daniel