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Wash. State Compiles List of Pesticides for Marijuana Growers

Associated Press

The state of Washington has compiled a lengthy list of pesticides for marijuana growers to use, even though these chemicals are not officially approved for pot. The new list is part of the state’s ongoing effort to regulate the production of legal, recreational marijuana.

Cannabis is about to become Washington’s newest, legal cash crop. Like any crop, marijuana plants are susceptible to pests. Since pot cultivation is against federal law, there are no pesticides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency specifically for cannabis.

So the Washington Department of Agriculture has developed its own list of nearly 200 pesticides it believes are generic enough to safely use on pot plants without growers running afoul of state and federal law.

Longtime grower Jeff Gilmore praised the list in testimony at a Washington Liquor Control Board public hearing in Olympia.

“Historically, we’ve used everything from DDT, Chlordane, other things that are totally inappropriate for the production of marijuana. Now we have a list. This list will literally save lives,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore added he believes the greatest health risk is not to the end user, but to the person applying the pesticides.

The Washington Department of Agriculture says its list does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation, and the agency reserves the right to rescind the list at any time.

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.