Contaminants in cannabis concentrates; a cause for concern?

cannabis concentrates and contaminants

Cannabis as a natural plant product is one that is prone to contamination during the different processes of growing, harvesting, preparation, and extraction which eventually has deleterious effects on the final user. These cannabis contaminants are a very big cause for concern because they have harmful effects on the health of the cannabis user and as such, it is important that they are avoided.

In this article, we will be looking into the different types of contaminants that are common to cannabis concentrates, their sources, their effects on the final cannabis user, and how they can be removed.

Cannabis concentrates are produced through different extraction methods and techniques. Studies show that contaminants majorly find ways to reach cannabis concentrates during extraction. The presence of these contaminants either during the growing period, harvesting period, or even the extraction period affects the integrity and quality of canna products making them a cause for concern.

A closer look at cannabis concentrates contaminants

Fungus and Bacteria

To understand how contaminants get to cannabis concentrates, we first have to start from the cannabis cultivation process. For cannabis concentrates that are developed through physical means like grinding without the use of extraction methods and solvents, contamination of cannabis buds by fungal and bacteria infection can have deleterious effects on the health of the final user. When cannabis plants are being cultivated, they are very prone to mildew, attack by mold, and bacteria infection and if this is not attended to before harvest, they find their way to concentrates like cannabis kief.

Without microbial testing, it is very hard to know whether a cannabis plant ready for harvesting is actually microbe-free, and if it is not microbe-free, the effects eventually fall on the cannabis user. When cannabis infected with fungal or bacterial infection is ingested, as expected there are health risks to be considered which is why from the cultivation process, cannabis growers should ensure that adequate checks are done and care is taken to avoid microbial manifestation. It should be noted that temperature and humidity are important factors when it comes to the growth and manifestation of mildew or mold and so they must be properly maintained.

Pesticides

When cannabis growers are going through the process of cultivation, one of the prominent problems they face is the issue of infestation by pests. Pest infestation in cannabis plants can have serious effects on the yield of the cannabis plant. To deal with this issue, many cannabis growers employ the use of spray pesticides. While these spray pesticides deal with the initial problem of pests, they inadvertently cause another problem of contamination with the cannabis plants. Studies have shown this problem can find its way to cannabis concentrates which are products of extraction processes of cannabis plants.

The composition of pesticides include compounds that are deleterious to human health. These compounds find their way as residues in the cannabis plants. This contaminates the plant and after the extraction and manufacturing processes of cannabis, they remain as residues eventually reaching the final cannabis concentrates. Inhalation of the harmful pesticide particles like etoxazole and spiromesifen can be very harmful as these particles are not meant to come in contact with the human body system. The same problems are available when such cannabis buds are incorporated into edibles for consumption.

Toxic Solvents

Cannabis concentrates can be gotten as an end-products of extractions using different solvents like alcohol, propane, butane, and carbon dioxide. These solvents are used to extract the potent compounds embedded in the plant matrixes of cannabis plants after which they are evaporated from the final product. When the extraction and manufacturing processes are not properly done, these toxic solvents remain as residues and are part of the final products of the extraction process.

The problem with the presence of these toxic solvents is the harm that they pose to the lungs of the final cannabis user and so they must be removed. These toxic solvents can be removed from the cannabis concentrates with the use of top quality extraction equipment. If the equipment used for the extraction procedures are kept at optimum condition and adequate care is taken during the manufacturing processes, toxic solvents contamination can be avoided.

Cannabis users should also be on the lookout from differences in the feeling gotten from the consumption of different types of cannabis products. Although pretty basic, this can sometimes be used in detecting some of these contaminants.

Given the risk posed by contaminants, it goes without saying that the appropriate steps should be taken to curb their presence in cannabis concentrates. With the right set of testing measures during cultivation, extraction, and so on, the issue of contaminants in cannabis concentrates can be avoided.