On Friday, July 8, 2022, the Province released the report Chemical Analysis of Illicit Cannabis.

Samples of illicit dried cannabis and illicit cannabis extract in vaporizer cartridges were tested at federal labs for pesticides and other chemicals.  

Every sample tested was found to contain pesticides that are not allowed for use on cannabis in the regulated market.

Key findings of this study indicate that pesticides are widely used in illicit cannabis production and that advertised THC levels are overstated in illicit vaporizer cartridges.

Vaporizer cartridges were also tested for the presence of vitamin E acetate, a substance connected with vaping-associated lung injury, and no evidence of this substance was found.

Cannabis products from the legal, regulated retail market must adhere to Health Canada’s strict testing and production requirements.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that when you buy cannabis from the illicit market, you can’t be sure what’s in it.