State recalls pot grown by La Conte’s Clone Bar over banned pesticide use

Colorado cannabis regulators on Monday issued their 13th marijuana recall in less than one month — placing on hold medical and recreational marijuana grown by Colorado’s Best Inc., which does business as La Conte’s Clone Bar & Dispensary, over concerns the plants were grown with unapproved pesticides.

The recalls, called health advisories by the state, note that 23 batches of La Conte’s marijuana tested positive for imidacloprid, one of the most widely used insecticides in the world but not approved for use on marijuana.

Consumers who have any of the recalled retail pot products should return it to the place of purchase to ensure it is disposed of properly, the state said. La Conte’s operates two Denver storefronts — at 5194 N. Washington St. and 105 E. 7th Ave.

Before the state of Colorado began recalling pot products last month, the city of Denver issued 20 city-level recalls of marijuana products between September 2015 and February 2016. Organa Labs, a sister business to La Conte’s, was the subject of two city-level recalls in late-January; It’s not yet clear if the state’s recall of La Conte’s product is related to the city’s Organa Labs investigations. A representative with the Colorado Department of Agriculture told The Cannabist that details are confidential until the investigation is complete.

It is unclear how large the recalls are or how many actual products or plants are affected. Product labels will contain the business’s medical and recreational license numbers; The recalled strains are listed in the Marijuana Enforcement Division’s press release.

Gov. John Hickenlooper in November declared that any marijuana grown with unapproved pesticides is a public health risk and should be destroyed.