PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE LEGALLY APPLIED TO
CANNABIS PRODUCTS IN CALIFORNIA
A pesticide product can legally be applied to cannabis
under state law if the active ingredients found in the
product are exempt from residue tolerance
requirements1 and the product is either exempt from
registration requirements2 or registered for a use that’s
broad enough to include use on cannabis.
Residue tolerance requirements are set by U.S. EPA for
each pesticide on each food crop and are the amount
of pesticide residue allowed to remain in or on each
treated crop with “reasonable certainty of no harm.”
Some pesticides are exempted from the tolerance
requirement when they’re found to be minimal risk.
Active ingredients exempt from registration
requirements are mostly food-grade essential oils such
as peppermint oil or rosemary oil.
Well that’s a bit scary. The first ingredient exempted is basically Azamax. Allowed on the flowers.
Thank you. This is very useful as a quick reference guide.
I don’t really know pesticides lol just posting to see if it’ll help anyone, when I get pests indoors aside from fungus gnats and I think white flies because I can use a yellow pad. I don’t really grow outdoors but I have a small green house for some cheap autos
if I find like mites or pm I destroy all affected plants and wash down my tent with 1:10 water bleach… haven’t had a pest in a while, although I did find a bunch of ants carrying these gross white things in one of my roots 707 bags, its outside now
Azadirachtin, the main active ingredient in azamax and what is the first exemption on that list, can be systemic. So if you apply it to the soil or water then it can get inside the plant. At that point you need a bunch of veg time and, preferably, clones to get it out of the plant material.
Basically, the rule is, never flower anything you’ve directly sprayed with azamax.
Much less allowing it be sprayed on plants or flowers and not even have a ppb/ppm allowance on it, that’s just nuts. No wonder people have been getting that “cannabis hyperemesis syndrome”…
That’s odd. Cali is normally on the safe side of toxic substances, I thought. Sort of odd, too, to me, that Azamax is on the list but it’s the only thing I see that is alarming, in a quick scan.
One thing though, is that list is from 2017, 5 years ago. So, maybe it’s been struck from the list since then. 
( i like that emoji… ferk! i dunno!, ha)
That was the last update, this is directly from the CA regulators website, still there:
Versus the updated Mass standard (couldn’t use any pesticides at all the first few years until the 2022 update from the CCC:
- The product must be registered with the EPA;
- The product must be registered for use in Massachusetts;
- If a product has two different rates for hemp and tobacco, the applicator must use the lower of the two rates;
- The product must be without “Days to Harvest” for indoor use to address worker safety concerns for indoor use;
- The active ingredient must be food tolerance exempt; and
- If the product is being used on cannabis cultivated in an indoor setting, it must be labeled for use on hemp in a greenhouse.
I can tell you that here in missouri, they dont seem to do anything. Buddy of mine did some work at a facility and said the air was thick with bugs.
Found the testing limits for MA in a document from a lab machine manufacturer who tested to make sure they could hit such a low PPB accurately:
“The State of Massachusetts regulates 9 pesticides (Bifenazate, Bifenthrin, Cyfluthrin, Etoxazole, Imazalil, Imidacloprid, Myclobutanil, Spiromesifen, Trifloxystrobin ) at 10 ppb in flower, amongst the lowest in the United States.”
Cool document, way over my head!
And this from the CCC:
Just because the government approved it doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Page 2 of AZAMAX information/cautionary booklet-hazards to humans and domestic animals- harmfull if absorbed through the skin or INHALED. Avoid BREATHING vapor.Causes mild eye irratation. prolong
I won’t be using this, some people think it’s ok because the label says so, but it’s for fruits and veggies… which should be washed and eaten, not dried and smoked
I’ve seen it linked to cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome too.
Exactly, they don’t have our best intrest at heart.
Azamax does have neem in it, and afaik it’s the only ingredient listed on the label… which, now, is probably accurate. There was a fairly big scandal a few years ago and it was banned for sale in Oregon and possibly a few other markets for adulteration with other pesticides. The neem, although it’s definitely got its issues for use on cannabis, probably wasn’t what was causing that “hyperemesis syndrome.”
It’s kinda got a Round-up™ vibe which is enough for me
Close!
Azadirachtin is a molecule that is found in neem seeds, leaves, and bark, but it’s not neem oil or extract itself. It’s a bit different from just spraying neem oil on your plant.
I believe, Azadiractin is derived from neem seeds. I don’t see Azamax listed as safe. While azadiractin may be deemed safe in small amounts, it’s those 98/8% other unlisted ingredients that are concerning.
I’ve seen @JohnnyPotseed say it has Spinosad in there. It’s also owned by the Scott’s/Hawthorne arm of the GMO cartel, reason enough to avoid it.
Sorry to disagree with ya, brother… but the 98.8 ‘Other Ingredients’ is where the Spinosad is hiding. AZAMAX was the ONLY thing used that could’ve caused spinosad to show up! And further research disclosed that fact. You can take my word for it, or not… do your own research to find out it’s accurate. Up to you… just my humble opinion…
I’m just saying, azadirachtin itself is what is systemic and the issue at hand. Spinosad has nothing to do with this.
I only referenced azamax as that is the most common thing sold with that as the main ingredient. There’s others too.
If I am reading this right, Washington State has different take on azadiractin, and specifically Azamax for the home grower.