The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is proposing changes to the state’s cannabis industry regulations, including allowing prepackaged food and drink at consumption lounges, restrictions on ingredients used in inhaled products, and prohibiting products that would otherwise be considered medical devices or over-the-counter drugs, such as nasal sprays, eye drops, and metered-dose inhalers.
DCC Director Nicole Elliott said in a statement that the “proposal is a direct result of DCC’s engagement with stakeholders and the thoughtful feedback received through letters, conversations, meetings and previous rulemaking processes.”
“We are deeply committed to creating a cannabis regulatory structure that works for all Californians, including California’s cannabis industry, consumers and communities.” — Elliott in a press release
Additionally, the agency is proposing removing the requirement for distributors to carry printed copies of test results; allowing continued curbside pickup at retail locations — which extends a rule enacted during the coronavirus pandemic — allowance for distributors to use portions of their vehicle to fulfill transport container requirements; and requirements for use of appellations of origin, which identifies the geographical origin of a product and usually includes production requirements, according to state regulations.
The agency said the proposals are meant “to streamline and simplify the cannabis regulations, enhance consumer protections and make permanent changes that are currently in effect as emergency regulations.”
The proposals are the first step in the rulemaking process and require a 45-day comment period before being adopted. If approved, the changes would take effect in the fall.
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Industry perspectives on this story:
Criminalizing medical cannabis delivery methods that patients rely on is a terrible idea. If the goal is to promote consumer safety, regulators should not completely strip away patient access to the medicinal products that have already been made difficult to acquire by adult-use legalization.
Noel Abbott - Chief Strategy Officer, Blue Dream
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