Maryland state authorities continue to investigate products produced by the medical marijuana grower ForwardGro but won't provide details about the inquiry or when it is expected to end.
The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission confirmed in July that it was looking into the grower, whose co-owner is connected politically to Gov. Larry Hogan, for potentially improper use of pesticides on its products. But officials declined to say if that was behind the "administrative hold" that prevents the sale of ForwardGro products.
That three-paragraph order, sent to marijuana dispensaries Oct. 7, said: "Please quarantine these products. Follow up instructions will be forthcoming in the future."
The commission spokeswoman, Jennifer B. White, declined to elaborate.
"We are unable to comment while there is an active investigation," White said. "And, there is an active investigation."
There is no public information provided on the state commission's website, and it's unclear how many of the state's 69 licensed dispensaries were selling the products.
The lack of information is concerning, said Evan Norris, a spokesman for the Maryland Ethical Cannabis Association, which sparked the state's pesticide investigation after hearing from users about irritating effects from plants that they believed contained pesticides.
Dispensaries don't know what to tell their customers, Norris said, and he doesn't believe the tens of thousands of consumers in Maryland have been notified about the current investigation. Customers would know not to use their products only if their dispensaries informed them or they found out from a news source, he said.
"We have an issue with them not telling the patients," he said. "There is a real lack of information."
Norris said some dispensaries probably have large inventories that they don't know when or if they might be able to sell, Norris said.
ForwardGro has denied illegal use of pesticides in growing cannabis plants. Three former employees at the Anne Arundel County growing facility made the charges in sworn allegations sent to the General Assembly.
The legislature adopted an amendment this year to allow some use of pesticides, though it's unclear if they were the ones the company was alleged to have used.
In a statement provided though spokesperson Henry Fawell, the grower, said: "All ForwardGro's products have passed pesticide testing by an independent, state-approved lab."
The company said it could not comment further comment during the investigation.
ForwardGro, one of 15 growers in the state, is co-owned by Gary Mangum, a prominent supporter of Hogan who served on the governor's inaugural committee and transition team.
The investigation is the latest stumble for the industry, launched less than a year ago after many years of delays.
The system the state uses to track medical marijuana use for dispensaries and consumers in real time was overwhelmed over the summer and temporarily shut off. That required dispensaries to use a cumbersome process to check clients' IDs and how much marijuana people could buy based on their monthly limits.
