Canadian Regulators Recall Cannabis Pre-rolls Due to Mold Concerns

The Alberta-based cannabis company Atlas Growers has recalled three batches of pre-rolled joints due to concerns they are contaminated with yeast and mold.

Canada’s federal health regulator, Health Canada, amplified the recall notice on Thursday, July 8.

If left untreated, yeast and mold can produce chemical mycotoxins harmful to human health. These can include aflatoxins, a type of mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus fungi, which are strongly carcinogenic.

In a press statement on July 12, Atlas Growers stated that levels of mold were first detected by the company itself during a routine "off-the-shelf" test of products that had been on the shelves of certain retailers for some time. 

"Unfortunately, as we tested a recent in-market product, we discovered 3 product lots of our Zour Apples pre-roll have failed BTGN microbial testing," the Atlas Growers statement reads. "As a result of these findings, we have notified Health Canada and are proactively pursuing a product recall on the following products."

Approximately 11,304 of the products were sold across Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon between December 2020 and July 2021.

The products can be identified by the brand names Natural History Zour Apples Full Flower Pre-rolls and Atlas Growers Zour Apples Full Flower Pre-rolls.

Neither Atlas Growers nor Health Canada have received any complaints or reports of adverse reactions related to the recalled lots to date.

Any consumers with the recalled products in their possession have been advised to immediately stop using them and return them to the retailer where the product was purchased.

Update: This article was updated on July 16, 2021, to incorporate a quote from Atlas Growers regarding how the cases of mold were first detected.