Dispensary weed comes with way more oversight than anything you can buy on the street. Generally, licensed shops can guarantee a clean bill of pot health for mold, metals, and toxic chemicals. But what if you want to take it to the next level?
This summer, the Los Angeles Timesreported finding exotic pesticides like chlorfenapyr in some batches of cannabis sold in licensed stores. If you’re looking for an extra layer of protection against such chemicals—you can shop for the “OCal” label on more and more products in stores.
For example, the California State Fair award-winning Jetty Extracts of Oakland, CA, touts its “OCal” certification across its lines of flower, vapes, and concentrates. Jetty and brands like them know they can make money and stand out in the market by going beyond the legal bare minimum to offer something super-clean. Shout-out to the free market.
Nate Ferguson, co-founder and chief product officer at Jetty Extracts, tells Leafly that “Jetty’s OCal certification is a testament to our consistent efforts to create the cleanest, most sustainable and innovative products on the market and we’re committed to meeting the growing consumer demand for transparent cannabis products.”
Brands rocking OCal certifications include: Redwood Remedies up in Northern California, and NoTill Kings in Long Beach, CA., Sonoma Hills Farm, and Coastal Sun Farm.
Here is the complete list of the three dozen or so OCal-certified weed brands in California.
What does OCal mean?
Oh, California. We’re so organic, we came up with our own “organic” label when the federal government blocked us from using “organic” on adult-use weed.
When you see the OCal label, you’re seeing “comparable-to-organic” cannabis laws in effect. California taxpayers voted for the government to set up a system where brands can pay neutral inspectors to come into their grows and hash labs. Pretty much every synthetic pesticide is banned under OCal.
“They are literally identical to the national organic standards. … The organic standards are strict. They’re not easy to do,” stated Certification Services Manager Caitlin Slay, from inspection company CCOF, in a video. “This is a really big deal. A lot of states have tried to get these out. Nobody has done it yet outside of California.”
That means no GMOs, no toxic chemicals, and farms must take care of the water, soil, and trash.
All those gnarly chemicals the L.A. Times founds in those batches? Banned under OCal, and inspected by independent companies.
“If needed, we may do unannounced inspections,” said CCOF’s Slay, in a video.
All those gnarly chemicals the LA Times founds in those batches? Banned under OCal and inspected by independent companies.
Chlorfenapyr, Bifenazate, Clofentezine, Paclobutrazol, Spiromesifen, Tebuconazole, Fenvalerate, Bifenthrin, and Chlordane? Banned, banned, banned, banned, banned, banned, banned, banned, and banned.
Regular legal weed lab testing screens for 66 pesticides. The OCal list runs nearly 200 long. They really mean it when they say, “comparable-to-organic.”
Here’s the full list of banned pesticides under OCal.
How do brands get OCal-certified?
Brands can contact two neutral, licensed OCal certification companies: Envirocann, and CCOF.
CCOF has been around for 50 years and certifies 4,000 members across the continent.
They’re both in Santa Cruz, CA. Brands can prepare to file a bunch of paperwork and get inspected.
Jetty Extracts has brought that OCal energy to its new line of solventless (aka rosin) carts and dabs, as well as infused joints.
Another option: Sun+Earth certification
Another option to prove your commitment to clean weed is a Sun+Earth certification. Sun+Earth combines OCal-level certification with the sungrown weed movement. Sun+Earth-certified farms include Sonoma Hills Farm.
See the full list of Sun+Earth-Certified Partners.
I’m confused—isn’t all legal pot tested for pesticides?
There are levels to it.
- Unless your dealer has mad connections, time, and disposable income, street weed isn’t tested for pesticides. It’s a total crapshoot guessing if your guy is poisoning you, even unintentionally. There’s no OCal for unlicensed producers.
- Dispensary cannabis comes pre-screened for 66 pesticides due to state regulations. That weeds out a lot of villains, but it’s not airtight.
- OCal-certified weed is screened for almost 200 pesticides and includes inspections. It’s pretty hard to sneak something gnarly through.
“It’s more of guarantee of that clean cannabis in the end,” stated Slay.
Is it bad to smoke pesticides?
As far as we know, no pesticide has ever been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for combustion and inhalation onto lung tissue. However, some researchers suggest that smoking pesticide-laden pot can lead to altered mental states and negative neurological effects.
We also do know that pesticides can cause health damage. The most common exposure comes from a home gardener hurting themselves by spraying something. Back in 2019, Leafly investigations into illegal vapes found numerous samples tainted with pesticides, which led to lung disease and even death for some users.
How do OCal brands grow weed without pesticides?
It’s more time-consuming and expensive.
They use a whole toolkit to battle nature in a natural way—like beneficial bacteria, predatory insects, and physical barriers. Think: ladybugs and praying mantises, instead of petro-chemicals.
One brand brought in bats and bat boxes to cut down on bugs.
How else can I avoid smoking pesticides?
Remeber, there’s at least more than one 3rd party certification out there. Check out Sun+Earth Certified—who also has a huge list of banned pesticides. It also goes further in its rigorous standards than OCal to include regenerative organic farming practices, as well as community support and worker protections. Sun+Earth Certified farms walked away with 11 California State Fair cannabis awards, including the coveted Golden Bear Award, won by Emerald Spirit Botanicals for its Pink Boost Goddess strain.
You can eat cannabis edibles, or use topicals on the skin. Those routes avoid burning volatile chemicals. The gut or skin also bypasses sensitive lung tissue to deliver cannabinoids to the body.
You can also grow your own weed, and chose not to spray it.
What’s next?
We’re going to keep adding brands to the OCal list, and broadening the coverage to include other states with pesticide-free options.
Brands expect the OCal program to come to other states. Hit us up with more OCal brands, as well as questions.
