The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has unveiled proposed regulations for the appellations of origin for cannabis.
An appellation of origin is a type of label of origin that differs from other labels of origin, such as a company trademark, as it is associated with a geographic region instead of a specific company, indicating where a product came from and how it was produced.
In accordance with Government Code section 11346.5, CDFA on Thursday announced the release of the proposed regulations, initiating a 45-day public comment period, as facilitated by state law.
“Commercial cannabis producers and consumers recognize differences attributable to the geographical origin of cannabis which may influence product pricing and purchasing decisions,” says CDFA. “Commercial cannabis businesses may indicate the geographical origin to consumers, which can help consumers to know more about the product and justify higher prices for some products due to the added value that their origin provides.”
Section 26063 of the California Business and Professions Code requires CDFA to develop the process that licensed cannabis cultivators may use to establish appellations of origin by January 1, 2021.
To establish cannabis appellations of origin and further clarify the county of origin, CDFA is proposing amendments to Chapter 1 and the adoption of Chapter 2 within Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations.
CDFA encourages all interested parties to submit comments about the proposed regulations before the deadline on April 6, 2020.
On April 14, there will be a public hearing from 1 pm to 3 pm at the CDFA Auditorium in Sacramento where anyone may come and present relevant arguments and statements, in oral or written form, regarding the proposed regulations.
To submit comments by email:
CDFA.CalCannabis_Appellations@cdfa.ca.gov
For mail-in comments:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Attention: Kristi Armstrong
CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing
Proposed Appellations Regulations
P.O. Box 942871
Sacramento, CA 94271
