Image via
Any expert joint roller knows that a little spit can help seal a spliff or blunt. But if you’re buying a pre-rolled joint from a licensed weed retailer, the last thing you want in your joint is some stranger’s spit – especially during a global pandemic.
Michigan cannabis regulators have just issued a safety recall for nearly 3,200 pre-rolls after learning that a processing facility employee was licking the joints as they rolled them. The recall covers pre-rolled joints and blunts produced by 3843 Euclid LLC, a state-licensed processor based in Bay City. Customers who have purchased these products, which were sold at over a dozen stores, are being asked to return them to their retailers.
“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 state Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) said in a statement. “Provisioning centers must notify patients and caregivers who purchased these pre-rolls of the recall.”
On July 31, regulatory officials investigated the processing facility after hearing a report that an employee was regularly licking joints. After the investigation, the MRA suspended the company’s license for two weeks. The agency also placed an administrative hold on the affected products, effectively banning the sale or transfer of any of these pre-rolls until the investigation is finished.
The MRA claims that sales of the affected products continued even after the administrative hold was put into effect. A spokesperson for the agency told MLive that they can not yet disclose whether or not the company was deliberately violating the hold. If the MRA does find that the company knowingly ignored the warnings, they could be subject to a fine.
The affected products include nearly 50 different pre-rolls of varying cannabis strains sold under a number of different brands. Regulators have provided a full list of affected products in an online statement. The agency also notes that future recalls may be issued as the investigation continues.
It is currently unknown whether the alleged joint-licker was suffering from COVID-19 or any other health issue, but the MRA has asked customers to alert them if they have suffered any health issues after consuming the tainted products.
“Consumers who have experienced symptoms after using these products should report their symptoms and product use to their physician,” the statement advises. Individuals who have experienced adverse reactions are also asked to contact the MRA via phone or email.
Michigan began selling adult-use cannabis last December, and initial sales were so strong that retailers initially had to impose purchasing limits in order to keep up with the massive demand for legal weed. Since then, supply issues have stabilized, and retailers topped $32 million in sales by March.
