Monterey County Officials Announce Results of 2021 Grant Funded Illicit Cannabis Testing

Monterey, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Monday, December 13 in a joint press conference with District 3 Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez and Officials from the County of Monterey Cannabis Program and Office of Public Health the results of testing conducted during 2021 on seized illicit Cannabis under a State of California grant. Background on Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant Program: In 2020, the County of Monterey applied for and received a $1 million grant under the Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant Program. This grant allocated nearly $200,000 to Monterey County Law Enforcement to conduct laboratory compliance testing on illicit cannabis between 2021 and 2023. Specifically, the grant allocates these funds: “For the Monterey County District Attorney's Office (DA) and Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) to test illegal cannabis products when cultivation sites are eradicated, or seized products appear to be counterfeit or illegal. Currently, illegal cannabis is not tested to determine if it meets compliance standards when compared to legal cannabis products. This strategy is twofold; it provides information on how much seized product would fail compliance testing and illustrates to the public that purchasing illicit cannabis products is hazardous.” Cannabis Compliance Testing in California: Under California law, for cannabis to be sold legally at licensed retailers, all cannabis must undergo a series of laboratory compliance tests to ensure product purity, potency, and safety. Cannabis is tested for over 100 contaminants, including pesticides, toxins, and heavy metals. A 2020 study showed that the cost of this compliance testing contributes $136 per pound to the cost of producing legal cannabis. However, unlike in the legal market, cannabis sold on the black market does not undergo testing. Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant Program Testing in 2021: During 2021, the District Attorney’s Office’s Bureau of Investigations, in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Monterey County Office of Public Works, and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (“Monterey County Cannabis Enforcement Unit”), conducted 19 enforcement operations against the unlicensed cannabis industry to eradicate illegal cannabis products from the black market. During these joint operations, Investigators from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office collected 55 random samples of cannabis from unlicensed cannabis cultivations, clandestine concentrate laboratories, and unlicensed distributors, throughout all of Monterey County. Testing Results: These 55 random samples of the illegal cannabis were sent to a licensed cannabis laboratory for testing using the same legal standards applicable to licensed cannabis businesses in compliance testing. The official testing results announced today for 2021 show: • 84% of illegal cannabis seized during these operations failed official laboratory testing due to contamination. • 58% failed in total or in part based on water and mold activity • 42% failed in total or in part based on heavy metals • 37% failed in whole or in part based on the presence pesticides • 10% failed in part based on the presence of microbial impurities like Salmonella The Monterey County Cannabis Enforcement Unit will continue to collect samples of cannabis and conduct compliance testing throughout 2022 and 2023, under the Proposition 64 Grant. And the results will be reported to the public at the end of each year. The District Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting consumers in Monterey County by eliminating harmful illegal cannabis from the unlicensed and unregulated market.