California is preparing to enact emergency regulations that would require cannabis businesses to use Quick Response Codes (QR Code) to verify their licensed status to consumers.
The Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) announced on Thursday that cannabis retailers in California could soon be required to post their unique QR code certificate in their storefront windows and carry it with them while transporting cannabis.
The announcement comes a little more than a month after the launch of a campaign that encouraged cannabis businesses to voluntarily post QR Codes from the BCC in their shops that customers could scan with their smartphones during their visits.
The BCC’s new proposed emergency regulations would make the postings mandatory.
According to the BCC, the move is intended to help customers identify licensed shops, assist law enforcement, and support the legal cannabis market.
“The proposed regulations will help consumers avoid purchasing cannabis goods from unlicensed businesses by providing a simple way to confirm licensure immediately before entering the premises or receiving a delivery,” says BCC Chief Lori Ajax. “These requirements will also assist law enforcement in distinguishing between legal and illegal transportation of cannabis goods.”
When a customer scans the QR Code with their phone, they will be taken to the BCC’s Online License Search, where the cannabis retailer’s license status can be confirmed.
The retailer’s address and license location are also displayed to verify that the information is not counterfeit.
The BCC will be filing the emergency regulations with the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) after the minimum five-working-day notice to the public.
A five-calendar-day public comment period will commence once the OAL has published the proposed regulations to its website as “under review.”
Comments submitted to either the BCC and the OAL will be considered in the final decision on the new regulations.
