Document Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Oxford Conference Center
Event Website
https://oxfordicsb.org/
Start Date
22-4-2026 1:00 PM
End Date
22-4-2026 1:20 PM
Description
Mycotoxins are toxic fungal metabolites that may pose potential health risks in cannabis products, yet limited data exists on their prevalence in regulated markets. This study analyzed multi-state compliance testing data for cannabis flower and concentrates across eleven U.S. states to evaluate detection and failure rates for aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) and ochratoxin A. Ochratoxin A was the most frequently detected mycotoxin in both flower and concentrates; however, detections rarely exceeded regulatory action limits, with overall failure rates remaining low at 0.016% for flower and 0.017% for concentrates. After excluding outlier laboratories with unusually high detection rates, true detection frequencies dropped to 0.1% and 0.12%, respectively. While regulated mycotoxins present minimal risk in dried flower under proper water activity controls, growing evidence indicates that Fusarium-derived mycotoxins including trichothecenes, fumonisins, and zearalenone, are more prevalent and can exceed levels established for agricultural commodities. These compounds are largely absent from current regulatory panels, creating a potential gap in consumer protection, particularly for inhaled products.
Recommended Citation
Boyar, Kyle; Kahn, Yasha; Esposito, Michael; and Pavel, Sukhikh, "Mycotoxin Trends in Cannabis Flower and Concentrates in the United States" (2026). Oxford ICSB. 23.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/icsb/2026_ICSB/Schedule/23
Publication Date
April 2026
Accessibility Status
Screen reader accessible, Searchable text
Included in
Mycotoxin Trends in Cannabis Flower and Concentrates in the United States
Oxford Conference Center
Mycotoxins are toxic fungal metabolites that may pose potential health risks in cannabis products, yet limited data exists on their prevalence in regulated markets. This study analyzed multi-state compliance testing data for cannabis flower and concentrates across eleven U.S. states to evaluate detection and failure rates for aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) and ochratoxin A. Ochratoxin A was the most frequently detected mycotoxin in both flower and concentrates; however, detections rarely exceeded regulatory action limits, with overall failure rates remaining low at 0.016% for flower and 0.017% for concentrates. After excluding outlier laboratories with unusually high detection rates, true detection frequencies dropped to 0.1% and 0.12%, respectively. While regulated mycotoxins present minimal risk in dried flower under proper water activity controls, growing evidence indicates that Fusarium-derived mycotoxins including trichothecenes, fumonisins, and zearalenone, are more prevalent and can exceed levels established for agricultural commodities. These compounds are largely absent from current regulatory panels, creating a potential gap in consumer protection, particularly for inhaled products.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/icsb/2026_ICSB/Schedule/23
Comments
Kyle Boyar is a scientist with a background in neuroscience, microbiology, and analytical chemistry with 13 years of experience in the science of cannabis. He has continuously been on the forefront of the field having been employed by numerous reputable cannabis testing firms including SC Laboratories, Medicinal Genomics, TagLeaf LIMS, and the reference lab for the State of California at UC San Diego. He also helped establish the ElSohly Award, the first scholarship of its kind for cannabis scientists. As a public speaker, Kyle has spoken at numerous leading conferences such as CannMed, Emerald Conference (now MjBiz Science), MJ Unpacked, Cannabis Science Conference, and the Institute of Cannabis Research (now National Cannabis Research Conference). He has also been featured on PBS NOVA, C&EN, and hosted as a guest lecturer at various educational institutions including UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, New York University, and the University of Minnesota. Kyle is currently employed as a Field Application Scientist with Bio-Rad Laboratories and leads the field technical efforts for cannabis with the Food Science Division in North America. He also serves as Chair for the American Chemical Society's Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision, where he has helped mentor and uplift members of the scientific community for over a decade. Additionally, he also serves as a Board Member of the National Registry of Certified Chemists (NRCC), an advisor to TagLeaf LIMS, an educator with Curious About Cannabis, and a member of the advisory boards for CannMed and MJ Unpacked.
The authors would like to thank Professors Maxwell Leung (Arizona State University) and Kimberly Gwinn (University of Tennessee) for their insights and support during the authoring of this manuscript.