(CNN) Authorities in Colorado issued a warning to consumers of possibly contaminated and potentially moldy marijuana that was mistakenly distributed due to a technical error, according to a press release from the Colorado Department of Revenue.

The health and safety warning was made "due to ... potentially unsafe levels of microbial contamination on retail marijuana and medical marijuana produced by several business[es]," according to the release made in conjunction with Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment.

2015 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that marijuana can be contaminated by a number of microbes, including "bacteria, mold, and chemicals such as pesticides, lead, ammonia, and formaldehyde." Contamination rises to the level of "a threat to public health and safety" when levels of total yeast and mold surpass accepted safety thresholds, the advisory said.

Department of Revenue officials said several batches of both medical and recreational marijuana displayed an incorrect testing status in an inventory tracking system, called Metrc . The system is used in at least a dozen states and the District of Columbia, according to the Metrc website.

Metrc maintains the error was limited to the state of Colorado and after working with the state's Marijuana Enforcement Division and their licensees, they issued a fix to their system on November 14.

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