Researchers at the University of New Haven in Connecticut took a close look at some marijuana under their microscopes and found something disturbing: mold, invisible to the naked eye. And it has made the scientists concerned that marijuana users could unknowingly be smoking contaminants along with their weed.


Mold isn't the only thing that has been found on marijuana -- mildew, insect parts, salmonella and E.Coli are just a handful of substances that can also be found in marijuana, said Heather Miller Coyle, forensic botanist and associate professor at New Haven who was involved in the study, to The Associated Press[1] .


Now that Colorado and Washington have legalized recreational use of marijuana, and twenty states and Washington D.C. have legalized medical marijuana, Coyle is busy working on a new and faster process[2] that will create DNA profiles of potentially harmful substances on marijuana to aid in their detection and the quality control of the plant.


Although the Department of Justice announced that it will allow Colorado and Washington's new recreational pot laws proceed[3] , marijuana remains illegal under federal law and that means that government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration won't oversee the testing and policing of the products.


So it's up to the states to come up with a testing and certification process.


"It's important for us to do it because it's public safety and there's no U.S. FDA oversight here," said Randy Simmons, the Washington State Liquor Control Board project manager in charge of implementing Initiative 502 which legalized marijuana for recreational use, to NBC News[4] . "Things that would be FDA rules don't exist."


Many states, including Washington and Colorado, already require quality control testing of marijuana.


"Through Colorado’s robust regulatory regime, marijuana businesses will soon be required to test their marijuana for potency and harmful contaminants such as mold, mildew, pesticides, and microbials," Michael Elliott of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group told The Huffington Post. "These new testing regimes will help protect consumer safety, and ensure that marijuana being sold through the regulated businesses is far safer than marijuana being sold through the black market."


The 136-page rule book[5] for the retail marijuana industry in Colorado has detailed instructions regarding quality control and contaminant tests including testing for molds, mildew, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and general filth along with labeling that states the results of those tests and if they were performed.


Labels will also detail the potency of a marijuana product and the compounds that are contained therein.


"By regulating marijuana and requiring that it conform to reasonable standards we can ensure it does not present any undue harm to consumers," Mason Tvert, communications director for Marijuana Policy Project and key backer of Colorado's marijuana legalizing Amendment 64, said to HuffPost. "It makes little sense to force marijuana into the underground market where we are virtually guaranteeing it will not be tested."


Moldy marijuana is nothing new. Back in 2009, marijuana industry blog Spark Report[6] wrote that finding mold on marijuana is actually quite common. "Anyone who has smoked marijuana more than a couple times has most likely inhaled mold spores from marijuana," the blog states. "That may sound alarming, however its important to remember that you are likely to inhale the same or similar mold spores while taking a walk in the park. The most common type of mold, Aspergillus, occurs naturally in almost everything in nature."


But moldy marijuana can cause respiratory or other flu-like symptoms in some people with weak immune systems, Spark Report notes.


Marijuana pesticide contamination has also become a health concern as legalization has spread. HuffPost's Lynne Peeples reported[7] that many of the chemicals applied to pot plants are intended only for lawns and other non-edibles. Medical cannabis samples collected in Los Angeles have been found to contain pesticide residues at levels 1600 times the legal digestible amount. Because the product is generally inhaled rather than eaten, any toxins it carries have an even more direct route into the lungs and blood stream.



Also on HuffPost:




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  • Because Most Americans Are Unenthusiastic About It


    Only 7 percent of Americans think the United States is <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/november_2012/7_think_u_s_is_winning_war_on_drugs">winning the war on drugs</a>, and few Americans are interested in throwing down more money to try to win, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released in 2012.




  • Because the U.S. Won't Control The Flow Of Guns Into Latin America


    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/mexico-guns-arturo-sarukhan-us-weapons-mexico-violence-gun-rights_n_1563250.html">Mexican authorities seized almost 70,000 weapons of U.S. origin</a> from 2007 to 2011. In 2004, the U.S. Congress declined to renew a 10-year ban on the sale of assault weapons. They quickly became the guns of choice for Mexican drug cartels. Some 60,000 people have died in Mexico since President Felipe Calderón launched a military assault on the cartels in 2006.




  • Because the United States Leads The Hemisphere In Drug Consumption


    Americans have the <a href="http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve/?File_id=81b53476-64a3-4088-9bae-254a84b95ddb">highest rate of illegal drug consumption in the world</a>, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.




  • Because The U.S. Ignores Latin American Calls For A Rethinking Of Drug Policy


    Several current and former Latin American presidents, like Fernando Henrique Cardoso, have <a href="http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/">urged the United States to rethink its failed war on drugs</a>, to no avail.




  • Because Of The Fast And Furious Scandal


    In an attempt to track guns as they moved across the U.S.-Mexico border, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/atf-fast-furious-sg,0,3828090.storygallery">allowed smugglers to purchase weapons</a>. The ATF lost track of the guns and they wound up in the hands of drug cartels -- even as <a href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/09/11/atf-fast-and-furious-guns-appear-in-colombia/">far south as Colombia</a>.




  • Because American Politicians Refuse To Candidly Lead A Debate On Reforming Our Laws


    Though the subject of marijuana legalization regularly ranks among the most popular at the digital town halls President Obama takes part in, he <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/07/06/askobama-twitter-town-hall-ignores-flood-of-marijuana-legalization-questions/">declines to address the issue</a> or give it a <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/03/obama-addresses.html">thoughtful answer</a>. Incidentally, a younger Obama <a href="http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/229756/82/We-Need-To-Decriminalize-Our-Marijuana-Laws----Barack-Obama">supported marijuana decriminalization and a rethinking of the drug war</a>.




  • Because The U.S. Tortures Detainees In Cuba


    Almost 800 prisoners accused of terrorism have have been held at the <a href="http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/01/06/guantanamo-ten-years">U.S. military prison of Guantánamo</a>, Cuba, where they are detained indefinitely without facing trial. The United States has drawn international criticism from human rights defenders for subjecting the detainees there to torture and other cruel treatment. The Cuban government opposes hosting the U.S. naval base on its soil.




  • Because The U.S. Has The World's Largest Prison Population


    The United States has <a href="http://www.prb.org/Articles/2012/us-incarceration.aspx">the world's largest prison population</a> by far -- largely fed by the war on drugs -- at 500 per 100,000 people.




  • Because The U.S. Jails Undocumented Immigrants Guilty Of Civil Violations


    Because the United States <a href="http://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/ExposeAndClose">imprisons roughly 400,000 immigrants</a> each year on civil violations.




  • Because The Border Patrol Kills Kids Who Throw Rocks


    The U.S. Border Patrol has come under fire for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/border-patrol-killing-un_n_2018731.html">killing minors who were throwing rocks</a>.




  • Because The U.S. Recognized An Illegal Government In Venezuela


    When opponents of leftwing Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez briefly ousted him in 2002, the United States not only failed to condemn the coup, it <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/16/world/bush-officials-met-with-venezuelans-who-ousted-leader.html">praised the coup leaders</a>.




  • Because U.S. Extradition Undermines Justice In Colombia


    When Colombia demobilized the largest rightwing paramilitary organization in 2006, if offered lenient sentences to those who would offer details on the atrocities the AUC committed. But rather than facing justice in their home country, <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/colombian-paramilitaries-extradited-to-u.s.-where-cases-are-sealed">Colombia has extradited several paramilitary leaders to the United States</a> to face drug trafficking charges -- marking it harder for people like Bela Henríquez to find out the details surrounding the murders of their loved ones. "More than anger, I feel powerless," Henriquez, whose father, Julio, was kidnapped and killed on the orders of one defendant, told ProPublica. "We don't know what they are negotiating, what conditions they are living under. What guarantee of justice do we have?"




  • Because The U.S. Helped Create Today's Cartels


    The U.S funded the Guatemalan military during the 1960s and 1970s anti-insurgency war, despite awareness of widespread human rights violations. Among the recipients of U.S military funding and training were the Kaibiles, a special force unit responsible for several massacres. Former <a href="http://ghrc-usa.org/Publications/factsheet_kaibiles.pdf" target="_hplink">Kaibiles have joined the ranks of the Zetas drug cartel</a>.




  • Because The U.S. Backed An Argentine Military Dictatorship That Killed 30,000 People


    The rightwing military dictatorship that took over Argentina in 1976 "disappeared" some 30,000 people, according to estimates by several human rights organizations. They subjected countless others to sadistic forms of torture and stole dozens of babies from mothers they jailed and murdered. The military junta carried out the so-called "Dirty War" with the <a href="http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB104/index.htm">full knowledge and support of the Nixon administration</a>.




  • Because The U.S. Helped Topple The Democratically Elected Government Of Salvador Allende


    When it became clear that socialist Salvador Allende would likely win the presidency in Chile, U.S. President Richard Nixon told the CIA to "make the economy scream" in order to "prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him," <a href="http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB8/nsaebb8i.htm">according to the National Security Archive</a>. Augusto Pinochet overthrew Allende in a bloody coup on Sept. 11, 1973, torturing and disappearing thousands of his political rivals with the backing of the U.S. government.




  • Because the U.S. Backed A Military Coup In Brazil In 1964


    The Brazilian military overthrew the democratically elected government of João Goulart in 1964, with the <a href="http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB118/index.htm">enthusiastic support of President Lyndon Johnson</a>, ushering in two decades of repressive government.




  • Because The U.S. Funded A Terrorist Group In Nicaragua


    The Reagan administration funded the Contra rebels against the Marxist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Regarded by many as terrorists, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1985-03-08/news/mn-32283_1_contras">the Contras murdered, tortured and raped civilians</a>. When human rights organizations reported on the crimes, the Reagan administration accused them of working on behalf of the Sandinistas.




  • Because The U.S. Helped Finance Atrocities In Colombia


    Through Plan Colombia, the U.S. has pumped over $6 billion into Colombia's military and intelligence service since 2002. The intelligence service has been disbanded for <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/us-aid-implicated-in-abuses-of-power-in-colombia/2011/06/21/gIQABrZpSJ_story.html">spying on the Supreme Court and carrying out smear campaigns</a> against the justices, as well as journalists, members of Congress and human rights activists. The military faces numerous allegations of human rights abuse, including the practice of killing non-combatants from poor neighborhoods and dressing them up as guerrillas to inflate enemy casualty statistics.




  • Because The U.S. Maintains A Trade Embargo Against Cuba Despite Opposition From The Entire World


    For 21 years, the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-urges-end-u-cuba-embargo-21st-192516276.html">U.N. has condemned the U.S. embargo against Cuba</a> and for 21 years the United States has ignored it. Some 188 nations voted against the embargo this year, with only the U.S. itself, Israel, Palau opposing.




  • Because The U.S. Engineered A Coup Against The Democratically Elected Government Of Guatemala In 1954


    At the behest of United Fruit Company, a U.S. corporation with extensive holdings in Central America, the CIA helped engineer the overthrow of the Guatemalan government in 1954, ushering in decades of civil war that resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.




  • Because The U.S. Backed The Salvadoran Military As It Committed Atrocities In The 1980s


    El Salvador's military <a href="http://www.pbs.org/itvs/enemiesofwar/elsalvador2.html">committed atrocities throughout the 1980s with U.S. funding</a>.




  • Because The U.S. Invaded Haiti and Occupied It For Almost 20 Years


    Woodrow Wilson ordered the Marines to <a href="http://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/Haiti">invade and occupy Haiti in 1915</a> after the assassination of the Haitian president. The troops didn't leave until 1934.




  • Because The U.S. Invaded Haiti Again In 1994


    One invasion wasn't good enough. The U.S. <a href="http://wws.princeton.edu/research/cases/haiti.pdf">military returned in 1994</a>.




  • Because The U.S. Trained Military Leaders Who Committed Atrocities In Latin America


    The School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia, trained soldiers and generals responsible for massacres and torture of tens of thousands of Latin Americans, <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2012/09/201292081054585410.html">according to Al Jazeera</a>.




  • Because The U.S. Backed Dictator Rafael Trujillo


    Rafael Trujillo Sr. (Photo by Hank Walker//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)




  • Because The U.S. Invaded Cuba And Undermined The Island's Independence


    The so-called "Spanish-American War" began in 1868 with the first of a series of three wars for Cuban independence. In 1898, the U.S. got involved, invading Cuba and occupying the island after forcing Spain to give it. The United States then forced Cuba to <a href="http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=55">accept the odious Platt Amendent to its Constitution</a>, which allowed the United States to intervene in the country militarily and established the U.S. military base at Guantánamo.




  • Because The U.S. Colonized Puerto Rico


    As long as you're invading Cuba, <a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/puerto-rico-invaded">why not take Puerto Rico</a> as well? The United States invaded in 1898 and the island remains a U.S. territory today.