Colorado town awaits test results of pot ingredient in water

Officials told residents of the small Colorado community not to drink or shower in tap water Thursday because one of the town’s wells may have been contaminated with THC, marijuana’s intoxicating chemical.

Further, according to one county health officer, “It would take a more [processed marijuana] than any of us could afford to contaminate a city water supply to the extent that people would suffer any effect”. The FBI and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation are now helping local authorities investigate whether or not there really is THC in the water, and if so, who put it there. But it was unclear how THC got into the water, as there are no legal marijuana cultivation sites or dispensaries in the area, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue, which regulates the state’s cannabis industry. “I can’t imagine, I can’t even fathom the idea that THC would be in water at any type of solubility to create any kind of health hazard”.

The alarm was raised after field tests on tap water in the town of Hugo, population 720, returned positive results.

However, at the moment, the contaminated well has been shut down, and the health department has stated that “fresh water is coming” as soon as possible. “Delta-9-THC is not water soluble, it is only fat and alcohol soluble”.

Yet, officials are saying that the possibility of a THC contamination is serious enough to take precautions. ‘Bathroom usage is still safe, but until more information is known to us, out of an abundance of caution, avoid drinking Town of Hugo water’.

It has not been confirmed that the potential contamination was deliberate, Yowell said.

It was a company performing a routine employee drug test that first alerted law enforcement to the problem on Thursday – unknown levels of THC present in Hugo’s water. The water tested positive for THC.

Multiple preliminary tests of the water came out positive for THC, but there has yet to be any reports of illness or “unexpected highs” due to drinking the water.

Colorado may be home to legalized recreational marijuana, but you won’t find any pot shops in the town of Hugo, where such businesses are not permitted.