The Stanislaus County Insider
Pesticides commonly used on marijuana linked to Autism.
A new
study released by U.C Davis found an alarming connection between organophosphates and neurological delays in fetuses and children,
even at low levels of exposure.
The study found that women living within a mile of agricultural fields that are sprayed with pesticides were much more likely
to have children who are developmentally delayed and autistic, but it’s not just agricultural crops that are soaked in pesticides.
The marijuana boon is creating it’s own casualties. Pesticides commonly used on marijuana are Phosmet, Diazinon, and Avid.
Organophosphates are derivatives of phosphonic acid, or OP for short, and are the basis for making pesticides, insecticides and
herbicides. The chemicals are reported to be highly toxic to humans, animals and bee’s.
According to an
article by Evan Mascagni,
a leading marijuana testing facility has found that marijuana contains as much as 60 times the level of pesticides that is allowed
for store bought food items, but marijuana is not regulated for pesticide use.
To make matters worse,
Jeffrey Raber presented a study to Humboldt State University that concluded as much as 70% of the pesticides
sprayed on marijuana buds can be transferred to inhaled smoke. “I think that what's so alarming to us is that such a huge amount of
pesticide material could be transferred,” Raber said. “And, you have to consider that when you inhale (something), it's much like
injecting it directly into your blood stream.” Raber also claims the use of pesticides on marijuana is illegal in California but it
hasn’t stopped profiteers who continue to thumb their noses at serious health concerns.
Jane Weirick Carlson, (Sister
Mary Jane) was a buyer for the San Francisco Cannabis Club and founder of Patients Resource Center in San Francisco. As part of her
job as a buyer she handled crude marijuana on a daily basis and was concerned to find out that several growers were using high levels
of pesticides on their indoor grows. She developed a rare nerve disorder that many are blaming on her exposure to the organophosphate
pesticide Avid. She was a pioneer and prominent figure in the marijuana movement, receiving an Activist of the Decade award
from American's for Safe Access. in 2007.
Here’s an excerpt from an article posted on IC Magazine “As a buyer, and a manager of teams of trimmers and packagers,
she (Jane) handled marijuana all day long every day for a decade. And that's what killed her. Not the marijuana, but pesticides which
were both absorbed through her skin and inhaled and, possibly, ingested. Avid is the prime suspect.”
Jane Weirick Carlson died
at the age of 46.
Water doesn’t work well as a filter for marijuana soaked in pesticides. It doesn’t remove enough of the
toxin. Pesticide levels even after filtering through a water pipe, vaping machine or e cigarette are still very high with pesticides
that were never meant to be ingested by humans to begin with. Organophosphate are nerve agents, the same thing used in Vietnam's
agent orange. Organic marijuana in California is almost non existent. According to marijuana activists, it’s cost prohibitive.
Austism is a neurological disorder that causes sensory overload. It’s the inability to appropriately respond to your surroundings.
It’s an over or under sensitivity to pain, sound, emotions and behavior. It’s a marked difference in perceptions and thought processes.
In 2014, the
Centers for Disease Control determined that approximately 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum
disorder in the United States. In 2012 the rate of autism was 1 in 88. Two years later it has increased by 30 percent. From 1993 to
2003, there has been a 657% increase in the nationwide rate of autism. It is the fastest growing serious disability in the US, with
no medical detection or cure available. Boys are nearly 5 times as likely to have autism, and it costs the average family $60K a year
to care for an autistic child. Only 56% of children graduate from high school.
The organophosphates used on marijuana are not monitored. In fact no one is monitoring pesticide levels, or doing much to stop the
overuse and abuse of pesticides on marijuana and this highly toxic marijuana is being sold at 'medical' marijuana dispensaries across
the state as dispensary owners, growers and others who profit from the industry continue to turn a cold shoulder while deliberately
misleading the public into thinking marijuana is safer then alcohol.