Pesticide drift complaints for marijuana rare in Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon agriculture regulators have investigated 11 complaints of pesticides used on nearby properties drifting onto marijuana and hemp farms.

The Capital Press reports that only two drift complaints of the 11 investigated by the Oregon Department of Agriculture have resulted in citations being issued for pesticide violations.

Sunny Summers, the department’s cannabis policy coordinator, says drift contamination appears to be a “minor thing.”

Since recreational marijuana was legalized in state in 2014, the department has investigated more than 250 cases in which routine tests have detected pesticide contamination of marijuana.

Under state law, marijuana cannot be sprayed with any pesticides registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for specific crops or subject to maximum residue levels.

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Information from: Capital Press, http://www.capitalpress.com/washington