The registration of agricultural chemicals for food and feed crops requires the development of a dietary risk assessment. Dietary exposures based on food and water consumption are compared with known toxicological endpoints to evaluate potential risk and establish allowable residues in food crops. Residue levels determined from magnitude of residue studies as well as market basket surveys are used to develop tolerances or MRLs. Currently, no pesticide labels for agrochemical use on Cannabis have been approved under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the federal laws governing pesticide usage. Thus, legal growers have very few, if any, approved options for pesticide use during production. Pesticides generally used in commercial food and ornamental production agriculture are clearly prohibited as growers must adhere to strict label requirements, however reports in the press and literature continue to show residues of such products. Consumers are concerned about the potential health risks from these residues. Many state and private analytical laboratories are beginning to analyze for pesticides, looking for products used legally in food and garden applications. If prohibited pesticides are found these batches are removed from commerce. Until testing is required on a wider scale, there continues to be concern about the potential health risks. The EPA’s Dietary Exposure Evaluation Model (DEEM) and Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation (SHEDS) are tools used by regulatory authorities to assess risk from human pesticide exposure. Using these models and data from pesticides levels that have been reported in the literature for Cannabis, an evaluation of exposure risk to pesticides was performed. Potential inputs from both dietary and inhalation exposures were evaluated.

Pesticide residues in Cannabis: Pesticide exposure risk assessment

254th National Meeting (2017)

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