Cannabis Cultivation
Pesticide Use on Cannabis
At DPR we protect people and the environment by regulating pesticides and fostering sustainable pest management. At DPR we:
- Provide recommendations to the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) on pesticide residue levels (called action levels) for testing cannabis products.
- Require that pesticide applications on cannabis comply with food and agriculture standards.
Enforce pesticide use laws and regulations with the County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs). No pesticide product is federally registered for use on cannabis. There are pesticide products that can be legally used on cannabis in California, provided they meet certain criteria. Pesticide guidance developed for cannabis is specific to cannabis and not applicable to industrial hemp.
Pesticide Guidance for Cannabis Growers
To manage pests on cannabis, growers have three options:
- Adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches. Information on IPM approaches for managing pests can be found on the SPM and IPM section of our website or through UC IPM.
- Applying 25B products (listed in 3 CCR 6147) that are minimum risk pesticides not required to be registered with U.S. EPA or DPR”.
- Apply pesticide products that meet California’s criteria for legal use.
Criteria for Legal Pesticide Use on Cannabis
A pesticide product can legally be applied to cannabis under state law if the active ingredients found in the product are:
- Exempt from residue tolerance requirements and from registration OR
- Exempt from residue tolerance requirements and use of the product would not be legally considered a use in conflict with the registered label.
The California Food and Agricultural Code prohibits the use of a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with the product labeling. All label directions, including directions to prevent offsite movement, use of personal protective equipment, and the storage, disposal, and transportation of pesticide products, must be followed. For products that meet California’s cannabis use criteria, use on cannabis is not considered inconsistent with the label if all other label directions are followed.
What Pesticide Products Can I Use for Cannabis Cultivation?
To assist cannabis growers and licensed pesticide applicators in identifying options for pest management, including which pesticides meet California guidelines and can be applied for growing cannabis, DPR has developed a resource list of products that meet California’s criteria for use. DPR developed the list using other state lists as guidance. Products were assessed by DPR to determine if they met the legal use criteria.
As of Dec. 2024 the list includes about 100 pesticide products that meet California’s criteria for legal use on cannabis. The list also includes more than 200 products that were vetted and did not meet the legal criteria for use on cannabis.
Products included on this list have been scientifically reviewed by U.S. EPA and DPR for human health and environmental impacts and registered for use on similar crops, but not specifically for cannabis.
Products that meet the legal criteria for use on this list are exempt from tolerances set by U.S. EPA, which means U.S. EPA does not consider residue from these pesticides on crops or commodities to be a human health or environmental risk. DPR considers these pesticides reduced-risk pesticides when used to manage pests on crops or commodities.
The list is not a recommendation, nor is it a complete list of all possible products that may meet California’s legal use criteria. This list is not an endorsement or recommendation to use these products in the production of cannabis, nor is it an exhaustive list of all products that may meet California’s use criteria.
Products exempt from registration are not included on this list: Products exempt from registration under FIFRA 25(b) and 3 CCR 6147 (25-B products) are not scientifically reviewed by DPR and will not be included in the list, though they may meet the criteria for use in California.
Adding or Removing a Product
To request that a product be added to the list, submit an email request including the name and EPA registration number of the product to cannabis@cdpr.ca.gov. DPR will review and provide a response to requests.
Products will remain on the list unless they no longer meet the legal use criteria.
Note to Registrants and Distributors: Advertisements are not allowed: The list identifies products that can legally be applied to cannabis because they meet specific criteria. However, it is a violation of state and federal law to advertise a product for a use not identified on the label. Since the crop “cannabis” does not appear on the product label, it is unlawful to market a product for use on cannabis.
Pesticide Residue Testing
Cannabis and cannabis products must undergo pesticide residue testing by a DCC licensed laboratory and consistent with DCC regulations before products are sold. Allowable residue levels are established in DCC regulations based on recommendations from DPR and other sources.
The use of pesticide products that meet California’s use criteria may still result in residue test failures due to use rates, the time of application (during growing or harvest), and other application and agronomic factors. It is the responsibility of the applicator to be knowledgeable about application rates and residues, and to understand pesticide application laws and regulations and DCC pesticide testing requirements.
Visit DCC’s website for more information, including testing requirements for pesticides on cannabis and cannabis products.
Cannabis Resources
Find additional information on pesticide use on cannabis.
Department of Cannabis Control Resources
For more information on cannabis regulation in California, visit Department of Cannabis Control’s (DCC) website.
Pesticide Cleanup at Illegal Grow Sites
For illegal cannabis grows on private land, any required clean-up or remediation efforts are the responsibility of the property owner.
Local law enforcement agencies and local regulatory agencies may contact the Department of Toxic Substance Control’s (DTSC) Off-Highway Emergency Removal Program for information on eligible pesticide/hazardous substance disposal assistance at illegal grow sites. Law enforcement agencies are encouraged to contact their local hazmat emergency response team or Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) for emergency removal coordination assistance through DTSC.
For more information on DTSC’s Off-Highway Emergency Removal Program, visit their website.
Call DTSC Emergency Response Duty Officer:
(800) 260-3972 or (916) 255-6504
Monday through Friday
8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Call CalOES Warning Control Center:
After hours, weekends, or on holidays, call (800) 852-7550 and ask to speak to the “DTSC Emergency Response Duty Officer.”
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Still have a Question or Need More Information?
Please contact us with questions or visit the Contact Us page on our website to connect with other programs at DPR.
Email: cannabis@cdpr.ca.gov