This email was sent to the NDPA by a colleague in the USA.

Last week I visited an old friend who lives along the Columbia River, south of Wenatchee, WA. He has a “huge” open-air marijuana grow operation nearby and another greenhouse grow operation also nearby.

Are people living close to marijuana grow operations also risking pulmonary problems with fine pollen  in the air ?  Just asking.

Both of these are “legal” operations under Washington State’s recreational marijuana law. Please see his email to me below:

Hi Tom,

As we had discussed last week.  We are experiencing what we think is Marijuana pollen in our swimming pool.  This stuff is a very fine yellow powder that is impossible to remove through the normal filtration system. To remove this material we have had to add various clarifying chemicals to the water and vacuum pump the water out of the pool several times which is not only wasteful but time consuming. I don’t know the effect of this pollen on people or animals but the amount that collects in the swimming pool would suggest that there is a substantial amount of this stuff airborne that could affect those with allergies or other health issues. In fact our kids have experienced allergic symptoms recently when visiting us here.   It started to appear about the same time as marijuana growing started just across the river from us in the Malaga, WA area. The problem appears to be more prevalent this year as more marijuana growing facilities start up.   The winds predominately blow from the direction of these growing operations and is more apparent after a windy period.  I have contacted the Department of Ecology and the EPA but neither of these organizations could provide any meaningful assistance.  They did however suggest I contact the Liquor & Cannabis Control Board for help.  I have attempted to contact them by phone several times but got no answer and no response to my voice mails to date. 

Please let me know if you can provide any insight into this issue. 

This issue, of pollen and/or nuisance is apparently not addressed or even mentioned by the WA State Liquor & Cannabis Board prior reports of this problem? I know that Shirley Morgan has been cataloging similar nuisances and decreases of property values, and other collateral damage from pot legalization.

Source:  Private email from colleague in  the USA.  August 2016