California Cannabis Industry Association’s Post

This is the type of investigative journalism that the legal cannabis industry needs desperately. Bravo to Paige St. John and Alex Halperin for their work. This article, and what it SHOULD do for public health safety of cannabis consumers in California, and around the nation, is worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. Their findings are nothing short of shocking, dissapointing and, to apply some legal terms, gross negligent and criminal on the part of many actors in the California legal cannabis supply chain, including regulators at multiple agencies. Gavin Newsom, please protect your citizens and consumers in California, this has to stop. And US Congress, if you ever needed another reason to put cannabis on a track of federal legalization AND regulation, well, read this article and draw the right conclusions please. US citizens will continue to smoke, vape, eat and drink cannabis, for wellness and recreation, that is NOT stopping, so don’t use this as a reason to bury us further in the sand, bring us into the sunlight. Dangerous pesticides have been making their way into California weed, and thus into bulk cannabis oils and vapes that are causing real and lasting harm to many people. And if you buy your weed from the grey market in New York (including bodegas and non-licensed dispensaries), or anywhere else in the country, there is a decent likelihood you are smoking California weed that was grown illegally, or even legally and sold into the “burner distributor” market, whereby legally licensed California distribution companies buy from legal growers/brands, and then sell into the grey market and put that bulk or branded weed on trucks going east. This is not a California story, it is a United States cannabis market story. What can you do? First, share this article, second, demand action from Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Cannabis Control. This needs to be addressed this Monday morning, people, and our industry, are at risk. #cannabisinvesting

https://lnkd.in/eQjwNdTw Consumer Safety in the Unregulated Cannabis Market: A Cause for Concern The cannabis industry is booming, but with limited regulations in some regions, consumer safety faces a challenge. While testing for contaminants at the source is crucial, what happens after the product leaves the supplier? The Gap in Regulations Unregulated markets create uncertainty. Products can be tampered with, improperly stored, or packaged in unsafe materials after leaving the supplier, posing a significant health risk to consumers. Taking Charge of Safety In the absence of regulations, the onus falls more on the consumer to prioritize safety. Here are some tips: Source from reputable dispensaries: Look for shops with a strong reputation for sourcing products responsibly. Ask questions: Inquire about the origin of products and any testing procedures, even if not mandated. Inspect packaging: Check for signs of tampering or damage. Research brands: Choose brands known for prioritizing safety and transparency. Advocacy for Change The lack of regulations demands action. Here's how you can get involved: Support advocacy groups: Organizations pushing for cannabis regulations can make a real difference. Spread awareness: Educate others about the potential risks of unregulated products. Demand transparency: By voicing concerns, you can pressure the industry to prioritize safety measures. Bridging the Gap Until Regulations Arrive Here are some potential solutions to consider: Independent testing facilities: Encourage the development of labs where consumers can pay to have products tested. Tamper-evident packaging: Promote packaging with clear signs of tampering to ensure product integrity. By working together, we can raise awareness, advocate for consumer safety, and find solutions until a more regulated market emerges. #CannabisSafety #ConsumerProtection #UnregulatedMarket #CannabisTesting #PublicHealth #CannabisAdvocacy #SupportSafeCannabis #InformedConsumers #CannabisIndustry

An investigation by Los Angeles Times and WeedWeek has uncovered alarming levels of pesticides in California's "safe" cannabis products. Of 42 legal products tested, 25 exceeded state or federal limits, with contaminants linked to cancer, liver, and neurological harm. Popular vape brands like Stiiizy, Flavorade, and Backpack Boyz were among the worst offenders. Despite this, California cannabis regulators have failed to adequately address the widespread contamination, potentially leaving 250,000 tainted products on shelves. The health risks, particularly for medical users, are significant. There is a pressing need for stricter enforcement and updated regulations to ensure consumer safety in this rapidly growing industry. https://lnkd.in/eq6DkeJk #CannabisSafety #PublicHealth #Regulation #CannabisIndustry #ConsumerProtection

Things are starting to heat up in California over the excessive use of chemicals in cannabis, particularly the overuse of Trifloxystrobin, commonly used to treat Powdery Mildew. At Scanit Technologies, Inc., we offer the solution for early detection of threats, allowing farmers to address the issue before it is visible on the plants themselves. Our real-time monitoring ensures that chemicals are effectively eliminating threats, enabling growers to apply only the necessary amount. This reduces overall chemical usage and minimizes the need for repeated applications. Early detection not only protects crops but also safeguards consumers.

LA Times article today on high amounts of pesticides and other contaminants being detected in legal cannabis, particularly vapes and pre rolls (*note these products are usually made with trim which is the leafier and looser parts of the plant and is more exposed and harder to flush). I've always touted the most immediate benefit of legalization being clean product (especially since cannabis was let in on the basis of it being a "medicine") but the findings here undermine that considerably. Accordingly, the DCC has indicated more market testing and (brace yourselves) more recalls and embargos on the way. Will these DCC driven tests solve the issue? Are more stringent regulations required for labs? Or will market pressure continue to force growers to find some profit margin in higher yields? Is it even possible to grow on a commercial scale without some of these "contaminants"? And I've heard it said that CA cannabis testing is stricter than for foods like tomatoes - can anyone confirm this? And is that even a good metric considering these are inhalable versus edible products? https://lnkd.in/g_tVPm4u.

Is cannabis safe? We spent decades convincing the masses of the safety of cannabis which ultimately culminated into the legalization movement. So why now that cannabis is legal is there this sudden fear of contaminated weed? Is weed coming from commercial facilities really any worse than what came from basements and clandestine grows prior to legalization? On one hand the larger you scale up the harder it is to keep things nice and clean, so there could be something to that. And one could also say that with a pinch of corporate greed there is more incentive to push out moldy weed. However black market growers had the same incentive for profits. The big difference is now we are lab testing. Black market weed was never lab tested. So would it be fair to say that all the weed we smoked prior to legalization was most likely just as contaminated if not worse than what we see today? Is this just a matter of ignorance is bliss, but either way we are fine? Or are we now becoming aware of new dangers associated with smoking flower? Or is this all just politics? Ok so contaminated weed is bad, let's test it! What's that look like? For hemp we do voluntary samples that we will send in to do full panel screenings. But what is the suggested sample rate? When the USDA samples for potency they take about 3-4 samples from 2,000 plants in a 5,000sqft greenhouse. Is that data even useful? Mold and bacteria aren't necessarily homogeneous throughout your crop, unless it's too late at which point it would be noticeable. That's also a point worth mentioning when we are talking failed flower its not as obvious as in the picture. Many times the flower will fail without any visual cues. So. I have 2,500lbs of flower from over 2,000 different plants. How much is required to be tested? Say I send in 10 samples each sample is around 2 grams. So I sent in 20grams representative of 2,500lbs. So already this data would be an insignificant representation of the lot, and that's assuming the lot is somewhat homogeneous. but here's the catch.... So say those 10 samples are clean does that mean all 2,500lbs are clean...absolutely not! Say all 4 samples come back contaminated, does that mean that all 2,500lbs are contaminated...absolutely not! So where is the logic in all of this. Radiation sounds like a terrible idea, even if it's deemed safe, which let's be honest we won't really know until enough people have been smoking the stuff for awhile, then we will either see acceptance or a massive recall of which I would not like to be the guinea pig of. Because remember weed is safe right? Mold and bacteria have been around just as long as weed has, yet we all agree weed is safe...right? 🤔🤷♂️ So I guess my main questions are; 1. Is moldy dangerous weed a new issue that has arose from commerical cultivation? 2. Is weed not as safe as we once thought? 3. Does passed or failed lab results really represent the flower you bought?

As we move step by step towards more sensitive regulations of cannabis and other psychoactive substances in our society, we need to be keenly aware that there is a bumpy road ahead of us. https://lnkd.in/e7KCaq3M #legalization #cannabis #thc #cannabislife #cannabisculture #prohibition #cannabislegalization

California Cannabis market is experiencing some #turbulence following an investigation by the Los Angeles Times & WeedWeek revealed high levels of contaminants in products statewide. California Cannabis retailers like Catalyst Cannabis Co. are conducting #independent tests to ensure safety, while the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) faces #criticism, quite rightly, from across the industry for their regulatory #failures. Recent recalls, including several West Coast Cure (WCC) products found to contain banned #pesticides, have only intensified the crisis. #Lawsuits between brands and testing labs allege inflated potency results and ignored #contaminants. What's Next? California's industry and the State will need to work together to achieve far greater #transparency, install far more rigorous #testing protocols, and bring a halt to ''#lab shopping'' which makes a #joke of COA tests in #Cannabis

10/09/2024 Legal Government Government Lawsuits Litigation Hemp legal fights heat up in California and beyond October 9, 202412:20 PM GMT+2Updated 2 hours ago Oct 9 - In the cooler of my local mini-mart tucked alongside the sodas, juices and iced teas, a new product showed up this summer. “Cannabis-infused social tonic,” the label said. “CBD + THC. Hemp derived.” I was confused. Cannabis has been legal for adult recreational use in my home state of California since 2016, but distribution is strictly limited to state-licensed stores. So how can a mini-mart sell citrus seltzer water infused with cannabis in its soda case? And can anyone buy it, even kids? Those questions are at the heart of legal and regulatory battles now playing out in California and beyond as state officials seek to clamp down on the retail sale of food, beverage and dietary products containing intoxicating hemp. Hemp industry proponents are squaring off in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday against California regulators, asking for a temporary restraining order, to halt the state’s new emergency ban, on the products. The new regulations, opens new tab , which took effect last month, forbid the sale of hemp products containing any detectable intoxicating cannabinoids and now require purchasers in California to be 21 or older and limit serving and package sizes. Similar fights are unfolding not just in the 24 states and District of Columbia that have legalized recreational cannabis, but across the country. Officials in states including Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey,  Tennessee,  and Virginia, are also defending moves to regulate or ban products such as gummies, chocolates and vape cartridges with psychoactive hemp-derived compounds. Lawyers tell me this relatively new market sprang up in response to a loophole in the federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018,  — commonly referred to as the Farm Bill — that legalized industrial hemp. A variety of the same cannabis plant that produces intoxicating marijuana, hemp comes mainly from the plant’s fibrous stalks and can be used, for example, to make cloth, biofuels or insulation. The key distinction, per the Farm Bill, is that hemp cannot contain more than 0.3% of delta-9-THC, the component in cannabis that gets you high. Except it turns out that with a bit of creative chemistry, hemp can also get you high, with industry players extracting and synthesizing a range of intoxicating THC compounds such as delta-8-THC, delta-9’s milder but still potent cousin. At a press conference in September, California Governor Gavin Newsom, brandishing a bag of hemp gummies in a shiny purple package, said the emergency ban, which expires in March 2025, was prompted by Page 1 continue A grower holds a plant for sale at the medical marijuana farmers market at the California Heritage Market in Los Angeles, California July 11, 2014.