We have heard of chemical contaminants like pesticides, nitrogen and salts, and even organisms affecting water quality. Have you ever heard of THC contamination? In case you did not know, THC represents tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical that causes the high in marijuana. Besides, it does not make sense because it is believed that THC does not dissolve in water. That is a headache plaguing pharmaceutical companies that are preparing marijuana-based medicines, and many of them are in the pipeline. Oil or alcohol is thus used for THC extraction. A cannabis testing facility said that zero chance existed of THC being found in water. Field kits showed marijuana presence, but some tests were negative. How much THC could not be told?
Well, America is full of surprises anyway. How did THC get into the water and how do we know? Is it dangerous or harmful? It cannot be since THC is recommended as medication for numerous ailments like epilepsy besides being a powerful painkiller. So, what went wrong? What are the authorities saying?
The affected town is Hugo that comprises about 700 folks, an agricultural town a hundred miles to the south of Denver, the Colorado capital. The clamor is because several wells showed active THC presence. A local company had been busy testing water and found the anomaly. The irony is that marijuana is not cultivated or sold anywhere in the area though Colorado state laws allow both medical and recreational legal marijuana, subject to restrictions. Hugo does not permit testing, manufacture and retail sale of marijuana-based products.
After an investigation found six of ten samples positive, though unable to gauge the extent of THC except for the presence, citizens are warned. The Department of Public Health and Environment now advises people not to use the water for drinking and cooking. The water would be safe for other purposes like bathing, washing dishes, cleaning and laundry. The problem is where to find alternative sources of water. Meanwhile, Colorado police will start handing over bottled water.
FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigation will commence work. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office had revealed the THC presence in tap water, but nobody was affected in the town, and the concentration could not be ascertained. The question is how the THC got there since there is no marijuana supposed to be around. Maybe it was a prank or somebody deliberately tainted the water.
