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Mold, spider mites and air conditioning fluid poured into plants — all three were used to characterize conditions at several medical marijuana providers in complaints that swirled around social media recently.

But state Department of Health officials say the unverified photos are not evidence of widespread issues in the state’s medical marijuana system.

Photos claiming to be taken in three local alternative treatment centers (ATCs) surfaced on at least two Instagram accounts that intend to monitor the cannabis industry. The images alleged mold and spider mites in the plants at Curaleaf NJ in Bellmawr and Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair. They also accused Harmony Dispensary in Secaucus of feeding air conditioning fluid to the plants.

The licensing process to become a part of New Jersey’s medical marijuana program has been competitive. Only a dozen providers, have received licenses and fewer have opened, all while the state’s patient population continues to grow. The number of registered medical marijuana patients recently surpassed 57,000.

In February, several applicants which did not receive licenses late last year filed an appeal; some found the process “suspicious,” which different judges allegedly giving varying scores to the same applicants.

The stakes are high, and so are the standards.

Jeff Brown, assistant commissioner of the Department of Health’s Medicinal Marijuana Program, said the DOH looked into each of the issues and either debunked them or investigated further to make sure the ATCs followed all the necessary protocols, cleaning up any messes or getting rid of flawed plants.

Anytime there’s a valid complaint, he told NJ Cannabis Insider, the department acts.

Officials can access surveillance video that rolls 24/7 in the greenhouses, but will also send field monitors to the facilities to make sure everyone is operating by the books. If a customer complains about quality, they can bring their marijuana to the lab for inspection. Should the sample raise issues, larger quality control tests will be done.

“We take it seriously,” Brown said. “We want timely information we can act on so we can catch people and address it.”

Brown said that the department wants “credible, actionable and timely information.” Unverified rumors tie up their valuable resources for investigations.

It’s unclear why the three ATCs came under attack within just weeks. The two Instagram accounts, @NJCares and @TheBlackListXYZ, reposted, rather than created, the images, so their origin was not clear.

“Where is the oversight ?” NJ Cares wrote while sharing the photos from Harmony. “You are literally poisoning patients that are coming to you for help.”

TheBlackListXYZ has more than 100,000 followers and says it is “a community platform for controversial discussions on topics involving individuals, brands and headlines in the cannabis industry.”

Shaya Brodchandel, CEO of Harmony, said the videos shared of the ATC were posted by a disgruntled former-employee and taken out of context.

“We work closely with the Department of Health to remain fully-compliant, regularly hosting the Department to tour our facility and have passed all inspections,” Brodchandel said in a statement. "Producing the highest quality product for our patients and maintaining a safe environment for our staff remain our highest priorities.”

Curaleaf and Greenleaf Compassion did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

Anyone with an issue to report should contact the Department of Health’s Division of Medicinal Marijuana by calling 609-292-0424 or emailing the division here.

This story first appeared in NJ Cannabis Insider.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Got a tip for the NJ.com/The Star-Ledger? Contact NJ Advance Media at nj.com/tips.

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