LABELING
SUNGROWN CANNABIS ALLIANCE POSITION ON LABELING SANITIZED CANNABIS
The SunGrown Cannabis Alliance (SGCA) supports full transparency between
producers and consumers. We believe that consumers should be able to find out how
their cannabis was grown and manufactured including what inputs were used, whether
the cultivator uses environmentally sustainable methods, and if the cannabis was
treated to remove any microbes.
Microbial testing thresholds required in Massachusetts are not based in science.
Many organic growers use microbes instead of chemical pesticides to fight disease.
Anything grown outdoors will have some level of yeast or mold because these microbes
are in the air. That is why most cannabis grown outdoors cannot pass the Cannabis
Control Commission’s (CCC) stringent microbial testing protocol.
Outdoor growers have been advocating for years for the CCC to update its arbitrary
testing thresholds to reflect reality; the CCC remains unresponsive.
Until the testing regulations are fixed, sustainably grown cannabis flower must be
treated to kill all naturally occurring microbes in order for it to pass testing and be sold.
This process is called “remediation” and can be achieved with irradiation, ozone, heat,
hydrogen peroxide, extraction or other methods
Opponents of outdoor growing claim that irradiated cannabis is dangerous or unsafe; THIS IS NOT TRUE. Discover the truth reading about Myths and Facts About Irradiation!
SunGrown Cannabis Alliance Members goal is to allow consumers to make informed
choices about cannabis. This includes education resources, labeling standards or any
other method that will help consumers identify the highest quality products that fits their
needs.
QR Code with All the Data
● Chemical fertilizers used in cultivation
● The carbon footprint of the cultivator and manufacturer
● Residual butane or other chemicals in extracted material
February 27, 2025
● Pesticide levels
● Heavy metal levels
● Microbial levels
“This Product Has Been Sanitized.”
Consumers should look for cannabis that has been cleaned to ensure it is completely
sterile. Medical marijuana patients with compromised immune systems, in particular,
may prefer to consume sterile cannabis. We support putting the statement “This has
been sanitized” on any cannabis that has been sterilized with irradiation, ozone,
hydrogen peroxide, or any other sterilization method.
Because these products are free of living microbes, their shelf life should be extended
from one post-year to two years post-testing.
Radura
The radura is the name of the symbol that is used on labeling of irradiated foods. We
support marking items that have been irradiated with this label on packaging when the
CCC updates testing thresholds based on science
Sadly, there is a lot of fear mongering around irradiation. Opponents can use this
symbol to discredit outdoor grown cannabis, putting farmers at a market disadvantage.
We support the use of the radura symbol on irradiated material once microbial
regulations are fixed, this will ensure farmers are not put at an unfair advantage in the
market.
The SGCA is currently working with other stakeholders to conduct research to establish
a baseline for microbial counts found in cannabis grown outdoors using best practices.
Read Myths and Facts about Irradiation to learn more.
Read the SGCA Position Paper to learn more about why the microbial regulations
should be changed.
Sincerely
The Members of TheSunCannabisAlliance