We are painfully aware of how troubling the Prop 65 warning is. We are forced to include this warning label in order to comply with Prop 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, a CA rule. Under Prop 65, all businesses (not just cannabis-related) are required to select from a list of chemicals and include the warning language you see on your Kikoko package. We go to enormous lengths to ensure that our products are organic and contain no contaminants. We chose Beta-myrcene as it is a naturally occurring terpene in cannabis. Beta-myrcene is a terpene (phytochemical) that occurs naturally in plants such as hops, mangoes and cannabis and is harmless.
The studies on Beta-myrcene have been conducted on mice, and there are differing opinions on whether or not it is a carcinogen at excessively high doses (our teas may contain healthy trace amounts of the phytochemical, which are actually anti-inflammatory). However, it is rather ironic to note that the government itself has released a paper stating that beta-myrcene should not be listed on Prop 65 and is not dangerous.
The main purpose of Prop 65 is to enable you to make educated decisions around exposure to chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. An important note about Prop 65 is that it errs on the side of caution and applies to many substances we all consume regularly (for example, coffee).
Although we utilize all certified organic non-cannabis ingredients and pesticide-free cannabis (grown organically), we are forced to include that warning. You can read more Beta-myrcene here.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at hello@kikoko.com with any further questions! Prop 65 is one of the more confusing regulations, so we’re happy to help navigate if you’d like more detail.