Food grade hydrogen peroxide for cannabis growers in Canada

Health Canada approved food-grade hydrogen peroxide for cannabis growers nearly four years after legalizing it — and a decade after establishing an official medical industry. However, should food-grade pesticides be carefully differentiated from their commercial relatives in the cannabis industry?

Commercial H2O2 since MMAR days

In the days of medical marijuana, especially before 2016, growers had access to a few pesticides for cannabis production. One spray that Health Canada eventually approved was Biosafe Solutions’ Zerotol. Zerotol is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid with phosphoric acid in the ingredients not mentioned

However, Zerotol is only approved for cannabis and peat grass, not food crops. It is considered commercial hydrogen peroxide. Food-grade H2O2 exposed to air will typically decompose within about 48 hours. An oxygen escapes leaving behind H2O – water while hydrogen peroxide is broken down.

Stabilized Pesticides

Companies chemically stabilize hydrogen peroxide to slow its breakdown. For cannabis or lawn grass, chemical stabilizers added with hydrogen peroxide must fall under environmental regulations in Canada. However, companies can use non-food grade chemicals to stabilize H2O2 products.

This author cannot confirm the composition of Zerotol. But Biosafe produces a food-grade hydrogen peroxide for plants, formerly known as an oxidate. However, Canadian cannabis growers could not use oxidates until recently.

The restraint of a food grade regulator

For nearly four years, Health Canada’s media department provided general email responses to my concerns. While food-grade hydrogen peroxide will burn off some terpenes when applied to flowering cannabis, they are at least legal for human consumption.

Finally, growers have the option of using food-grade sprays. After a long-awaited review of current Canadian cannabis laws, has the regulator finally started treating cannabis like a food crop?

The approval of food-safe sprays shouldn’t be cause for celebration, albeit a relief. In any case, commercial grade cannabis growers can still spray Zerotol on cannabis plants and peat grass, but not on edibles.

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