Stevensville cannabis producer ForwardGro has been ordered to pay $125,000 in fines, toss out all cannabis products made before May 31 and remain under probation for the next two years after a state investigation found the company used unauthorized pesticides on the weed it was growing.
The investigation, the results of which were published yesterday in a consent order, also found the company failed to make sure employees who sprayed pesticides or were exposed to them used proper safety equipment, and that the grower, one of 14 authorized in Maryland, failed to properly track some of the plants in its building using video surveillance back in August 2017.
Beyond the aforementioned sanctions, the state has also forced the company to appoint new leadership. Gary Mangum, a ForwardGro co-founder who was also a top donor to Gov. Larry Hogan’s campaign and a former member of the governor’s transition team, has replaced Michael McCarthy as CEO. The company has been ordered to hire a new head grower within the next three months.
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