Cannabis is susceptible to a number of mold species, most notably botrytis cinerea aka “Budrot,”and the many fungal diseases in the Erysiphale family, otherwise known as “Powdery Mildew.” Many types of mold that cannabis is susceptible to do not necessarily pose a threat to human health, but physical degradation of the product, including odd flavors and smells, are real industry concerns. Mold also produces mycotoxins, some of which have been shown to cause human illnesses [Kurup et al. 1983]; those of greatest concern in cannabis products are the aflatoxins produced by the Aspergillus and Fusarium species of fungi.

Hemp diseases and pests: management and biological control - an advanced treatise, a manuscript written by J.M. McPartland in 2000, divides microbial contaminants on cannabis into two groups: Group 1 microbes are present on the plant while growing and carry over into curing and storage; Group 2 contains saprophytes found on stored products and microbes that only colonize dead plants. Both groups carry potential financial (product loss) and human health risks. At Oregon Growers Analytical we screen cannabis products for microbial contamination using the Biolumix rapid technology which is capable of detecting molds in excess of State detection limits within 48 hours (10,000 CFU/g for flowers, 1,000 CFU/g for concentrates). This method is consistent with USP <2021>, USP <2022>, and has been validated according to USP <1223>. Some microorganisms associated with cannabis are listed in the table below:

 

ORGANISM	GROUP	ASSOCIATED DISEASE (Plants & Humans)
Botrytis Cinerea	1	Grey Mold
Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum	1	Hemp Canker
Alternaria Alternata	1	Brown Mold
Cladosporium Herbarum	1	Stem Canker
Epicoccum Nigrum	1	Black Spot
Stachybotrys Lobulata	1	used in Hemp Retting
Fusarium spp.	1	Stem Canker, Root Rot
Mucor spp.	1	Not Pathogenic, Common on Plants
Salmonella Muenchen	1	Salmonellosis
Aspergillus spp.	2	“Moldy Marijuana”
Aspergillus Fumigatus	2	Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis, Pneumonitis
Penicillium spp.	2	Product Degradation
Mucor spp.	2	Not Pathogenic, Common on Plants
Rhizopus spp.	2	Product Degradation