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If You Love Weed And Following The Rules, Here Are 4 Changes Planned For California's Cannabis Industry
Existing state laws prohibit cartoons on the packaging of cannabis products. A proposed update will also include images of snacks. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Last week, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Department of Public Health put outdrafts of what will become the permanent cannabis law in the state.
Since recreational marijuana was legalized earlier this year, California has been operating under an emergency set of regulations. The new proposal outlines changes to rules on pot deliveries, advertising and the potency of edibles products.
"The best news from our perspective is that there actually aren't that many groundbreaking changes," said Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association. "This is (a) one-foot-in-front-of-the-other multi-year process and I'm happy to say it's not revolutionary."
Here are a few of the main impacts the proposed changes would have on consumers.
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Delivery: Under the new proposal, cannabis can be delivered anywhere in California, even to municipalities that don't allow pot shops.
"A delivery service can deliver anywhere in the state," Allen said. "That is now abundantly clear."
Marketing: It's a big part of this emerging industry. The proposed regulations are more strict in terms of advertisement. Promotional cannabis products or giveaways would be prohibited under the changes.
Packaging: Existing laws prohibit cartoons on the packaging of cannabis products. The update will also include images of snacks.
"If you got a really yummy cookie, you cannot put that outside the box," Allen said.
Child-proof packaging will also be required on all products.
Potency: The new draft doesn't just address recreational users. Medical marijuana patients will be allowed to buy edibles infused with cannabis more potent than currently permitted under state law. And a new rule that kicked in July 1 requires all cannabis products sold in the state to be tested and labeled by a state-licensed lab.
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Whether you are an activist or a consumer, you can weigh in on the regulatory process here.
We released our proposed #cannabis regulations last Friday, which also marked the beginning of a 45-day public #comment period! See below for more #info:
— CA Department of Cannabis Control (@CAcannabisdept) July 17, 2018
Submitting a Public Comment: https://t.co/lrzXL1aG1D
Hearing Dates & Locations: https://t.co/qRYFqzO99M pic.twitter.com/pLhuzKnKhi
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