Hey mm, thanks for the link to my site. I want to clarify, though, not every state requires testing. Only Washington, Oregon, and California require the metals data to be published in a state-sponsored website. And even those states require testing for only a few heavy metals, dioxin, and furans. Or even disclosure that the fertilizer is waste-derived.here is a good tidbit I happened across. All fertilizer manufacturers when registered with states have to submit products to test for safety reasons. Want to know what is in your voodoo juice? Find out here:
http://saffii.com/databases.aspx
So, fertilizer buyers in those 3 states can look up the metals content of fertilizers sold in those states. If you're not buying your fertilizer in those 3 states, even if it has the exact same name and nutrient values, it may be made with different source materials and, therefore, the heavy metal and/or toxic chemical content could be different. Ironite is an example of this. They were sued in California so they use 'cleaner' material in California but they still have a mountain of the dirty material to get rid of so where do you think they dump, err, I mean sell it? That's right. They sell it in the states that don't require testing or disclosure.
This page will show the states that require any disclosure of heavy metals.
http://saffii.com/statelaw.aspx
If your state does not require testing and disclosure of heavy metals, then it's a pretty good bet a zinc micronutrient fertilizer was made using hazardous waste and is probably contaminated with a fine stew of heavy metals and organo chemicals.
That said, different plants have different affinity for metals and chemicals. I don't think I've ever seen a study of MJ's uptake. It's possible that MJ doesn't take up any of these nasty things. It's also possible that even if the metals or chemicals are taken into the leaf or bud, they aren't transferred by smoking (i.e. the metals/chemicals stay in the ash). But, I wouldn't want to be the guinea pig.
Washington's website is the best of the 3. If the fertilizer is waste-derived, then find out the source of the waste. If it's from an incinerator, tannery, or any form of metals processing - don't buy it! Paper processing is questionable (dioxins) as is seafood processing (mercury).
Disclaimer: The above is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, nor to assist or further any possible illegal activity.