Flower fungus? Arizona cannabis recalled over possible contamination

Valley cannabis brand The Flower Shop voluntarily recalled a batch of its product over possible contamination with a fungus that can cause allergic reactions or infection.

The product — Onion Bhaji, batch number OBHA111423 — is sold in The Flower Shop’s three metro Phoenix locations and distributed to nearly 170 other dispensaries across Arizona.

Lab auditors for the Arizona Department of Health Services, which licenses dispensaries in the state, were made aware of errors in testing results that could lead to false negative results for aspergillus, according to the department. The agency contacted The Flower Shop when it discovered the potential contamination.

The department announced the recall on Monday and said it hasn’t received any reports of illnesses.

The Flower Shop contested the agency’s findings and pointed to testing from two independent labs that didn’t find aspergillus in the batch of flower, according to a statement from the company provided to Phoenix New Times. But the company said the department’s inspection of one of the labs gave the state agency reason to suspect the results were inaccurate.

Onion Bhaji was harvested Nov. 14 and tested weeks later at Desert Valley Testing in Phoenix and SC Labs in Scottsdale. The Desert Valley analysis on Dec. 14 detected aspergillus, but the SC Labs test on Jan. 6 did not, according to test results published on The Flower Shop’s website.

“TFS has not been provided with any specific details or information regarding the Department’s analysis of the lab’s data,” Greta Brandt, president of The Flower Shop, said in the prepared statement.

“At this time TFS has no reason to doubt the initial results, but will continue to work with the Department to confirm there is no aspergillus present,” Brandt added.

But consumers who purchased Onion Bhaji are in a tough spot. The health agency urged people who bought the product to dispose of it. The Flower Shop didn’t respond to questions about whether consumers can return the product for a refund. Company executives referred New Times to a Scottsdale law firm that provided Brandt’s statement but didn’t respond to questions about what customers should do with the recalled pot.

The recall is the first for cannabis products in Arizona in 2024. Last year, a variety of cannabis products — including flower, concentrate, extract and gummies — were voluntarily recalled over possible aspergillus or salmonella contamination. Of the 21 products pulled from dispensary shelves in 2023, 10 had their recalls lifted after retesting showed no contamination.

Aspergillus are any of a genus of common mold species that can trigger aspergillosis, a disease that can infect skin tissues or cause lung cavities in serious cases. But healthy adults who smoke recreationally likely will have only "mild reactions" to aspergillus-contaminated cannabis, ADHS spokesperson Travis Ross told New Times in November.

"If someone has an underlying health condition, or they're immunocompromised, they're going to be more susceptible to infection," Ross said.

The Flower Shop grows its weed in San Manuel but produces its pre-rolls, cartridges, edibles and tablets inside a 16,000-square-foot facility in Ahwatukee.

“The Flower Shop is committed to ensuring the continued quality of our product, and the health and safety of our patients and consumers,” Brandt said.