Additives create questions regarding safety of infused pre-rolls

Sometimes too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. This can be seen in Michigan’s cannabis market, where, due to consumer demand, the percentage of THC in flower and pre-rolls is continuing to skyrocket, and manufacturers have phased out plants testing at less than 20% THC in all but the rarest cases.

While producers have been forced to focus on high-THC strains, the pre-roll potency war has pushed them to infuse joints with cannabis concentrates in order to increase the THC percentage even more.

I’ve covered a lot of infused pre-rolls in this column since I took over. I really enjoy premium live resin- and live rosin-infused pre-rolls from brands like Element and Ice Kream Hash Co., but these top-shelf options are just a small sliver of what’s available. The most common infused pre-rolls on the market are made from low-quality flower that’s infused with kief, cheap distillate or other bottom-shelf concentrates and, in more and more cases, non-naturally occurring terpenes and flavorings.

Due to the addition of often harsh-tasting concentrates and the generally low quality of the flower used, many manufacturers have resorted to adding terpenes and sometimes flavorings to make their joints more palatable. Terpenes are what give plants their smell and taste. Recent technological advances have allowed manufacturers to become very adept at isolating individual terpenes from cannabis and other plants.

This practice isn’t totally new. For years, producers have added terpenes and other flavorings to cannabis vape cartridges to improve the taste and act as a thinning agent for the pure THC distillate, which is usually a very solid, sticky oil.

In terms of pre-rolls, the potential harm to consumers comes from the method of consumption — combustion — and the fact that the concentrations of added and naturally occurring terpenes are way outside the range ever found in a concentrate extracted from a cannabis plant. 

It’s important for folks to keep in mind that terpenes can be volatile and even corrosive, like those used to create turpentine. Combusting high concentrations of terpenes could create health risks in the long term — or maybe not. According to Jason Allen, co-founder of Lapeer-based cultivator Old School Organics, “No one knows enough about the long-term effects of combusting these types of terpenes and flavorings.”

True to its name, Old School Organics has chosen to stick with old-school offerings like 100% flower pre-rolls made from strains selected for their natural terpene profiles.

Overall, the industry has been pretty welcoming of this new trend. It’s a way for producers to offload their B- and C-tier buds, add some cheap distillate and terpenes for flavor and offer a 30 to 40% THC pre-roll direct to consumers for less than $10. The infused pre-roll segment is a great example of the dual issues that are plaguing the industry: high THC percentage and low cost. Consumers’ perception of a “good” cannabis product is simply one that’s cheap but contains as much THC as possible.

Honestly, a lot of consumers aren’t smoking the best dope most of the time, so flower quality can be pretty subjective as long as the price and THC percentage are right. In addition, a lot of consumers’ notions of what “good” taste is are all over the place. Many of them vape non-THC products and have palates that are much more forgiving, even enjoying the sugary, candy-tinged flavors a lot of manufacturers have been rolling out recently.

You probably shouldn’t be too worried about pre-rolls. Cannabis is generally one of the safest drugs you can consume. Allen and many other experts I’ve spoken with agree that you should treat infused pre-rolls just like any other cannabis product you consume — with care. If you experience pain or discomfort, stop using the product immediately, and you’ll probably feel better in a few days. Be sure to stay informed on the makeup of the products you buy and, when in doubt, always ask your budtender questions. Greater accountability from manufacturers starts with us, the consumers.