Media Report: Colorado Marijuana Company Voluntarily Recalls Dozens of Contaminated Products Amid State Regulatory Delays

Thanks to Lex Pelger and his wonderful newsletter on substack for spotting this one

First the Google AI Precis

StayCon LLC (doing business as Craft) is a Colorado-based cannabis manufacturer that has faced major state health and safety advisories and product recalls due to contaminated vape products. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Recall Overview

• Company & Location: Based in Greenwood Village and Pueblo County, Colorado, StayCon LLC (Craft) faced enforcement actions affecting over 700 dispensaries. [1, 2, 3]
• Contaminants: Products and ingredients tested positive for banned pesticides like chlorfenapyr, synthetic additives such as geraniol, and the industrial solvent methylene chloride. [1, 2]
• Affected Products: Dozens of production batches and strains (including Grand Daddy Purps, Mango Kush, Sour Diesel, and Ghost Haze) were targeted across multiple waves of state warnings. [1, 2]

Consumer Guidance

• Action to Take: The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) instructs consumers to destroy affected items or return them to the dispensary for disposal. [1]
• Health Risks: Exposure to these substances can cause neurological or respiratory issues; affected individuals should consult a healthcare provider and report symptoms to the MED. [1, 2, 3]

For full details on the timeline, affected batch lists, and regulatory response, see reports from ProPublica and MJBizDaily. [1, 2]

Propublica

After state officials failed to implement stricter testing protocols that were planned to take effect in July, a marijuana manufacturer recalled dozens of products when a third-party lab found contamination by a chemical that can cause cancer.

This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Denver Gazette. Sign up for Dispatches to get our stories in your inbox every week.

A Colorado manufacturer of a popular brand of marijuana vapes warned dispensaries last week that it is recalling products due to contamination by methylene chloride, a chemical the Environmental Protection Agency has sought to ban for most uses because it can cause cancer.

The recall comes amid a protracted delay in state implementation of expanded testing procedures that would have detected methylene chloride and other solvents that pose health risks.

The manufacturer, StayCon, voluntarily flagged 49 of its products, some of which first went up on dispensary shelves more than a year and a half ago. The recalled items include vapes that go by the brand name Maui Wowie and Grape Gorilla. The recall notice said a “botanically-derived” flavoring compound used in its marijuana vapes contained methylene chloride.

The owner of the third-party lab that detected the toxic solvent, which can be used to strip paint, said that he notified the company and the state six weeks before StayCon issued its recall. The state has yet to issue its own alert to consumers. Kyle Boyd, a spokesperson for the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, told The Denver Gazette and ProPublica that the agency “does not comment on investigations” in response to a question about why it hasn’t made the recall public.

The Denver Gazette and ProPublica reported this month that regulatory loopholes in Colorado have allowed contaminated marijuana products that pose health risks to continue being sold to consumers for months, sometimes even years. Regulators have been slow to provide public warnings even after they’ve received reports of consumer harm. Earlier this year, the publications also reported on the dangers of methylene chloride as part of an investigation into Colorado’s failure to adopt many regulations used by other states to keep intoxicating hemp products off marijuana shelves.