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The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission will allow the sale and transfer of marijuana products that have tested positive for aspergillus, a type of mold that has led to product recalls in several markets.
The regulator’s decision means 2,500 pounds of cannabis and 65,000 infused pre-roll units that previously tested positive for the mold but were held back can now be sold through licensed channels, according to a news release.
The Oregon Health Authority in May adopted new rules for cannabis producers that had “zero tolerance” for any products that tested positive for aspergillus.
Cultivators legally challenged the rules, arguing that the mold hasn’t been proved to be harmful and that a zero-tolerance approach would put them out of business.
The Oregon Court of Appeals temporarily halted the requirement in August.
Aspergillus isn’t harmful to healthy people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But for people with compromised immune systems, breathing in the mold can “cause an infection in the lungs or sinuses which can spread to other parts of the body,” according to the CDC website.