It’s clear who understands cannabis and who doesn’t. The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) is clearly in the latter category. Claims that inhaling combustible smoke is “safe” and “clean” are not only misleading, they are flat-out false.

Combustible anything is never “safe” or “clean,” regardless of what it’s tested for. Testing doesn’t magically make something safe, especially when it comes to inhaling smoke. Even if cannabis passes tests for mold, yeast, or pesticides, it doesn’t guarantee that it’s free from dangerous compounds that can harm our bodies.

Maine’s medical cannabis patients understand this risk. They’re willing to take it because cannabis’ side effects are far less harmful than the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. Do people actually consider the laundry list of side effects noted in pharmaceutical commercials? It’s a nightmare. Yet, we have over 110,000 medical cannabis patients in Maine — more than the number of our veterans.

Meanwhile, OCP is more concerned about mold and yeast than addressing the actual dangers of the combustible smoke. It has failed to address its own mold problem in the OCP office, which raises serious questions about its transparency and credibility. Cannabis testing doesn’t prevent failures, as seen in 2024 when an adult-use product passed testing but still led to a 23-store recall. “Tested” doesn’t mean safe or clean, especially when it comes to combustible smoke.

Derek Shirley
Gray