To: Board of Supervisors
From: County Administrative Office
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Amending Legislative Platform to Include Cannabis Marketing and Certification
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt a modification to the state legislative platforms to include an item titled "Cannabis Marketing and Certification."
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
State funds
DISCUSSION:
Senator Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) has introduced Senate Bill (SB) 185 regarding cannabis marketing. The bill, if passed, would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to work with the State Department of Public Health to create a certification program for cannabis that is comparable to the federal National Organic Program and the California Organic Food and Farming Act. This is to help make up for the fact that the federal government, which regulates organics, does not regulate cannabis as an agricultural product. SB 185 also would strengthen prohibitions on representing cannabis and cannabis products as coming from a California county unless the cannabis was grown in that county.
Existing law, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) and the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) already address these issues in some form. However the regulations around organics do not specify that the program would incorporate cannabis. And the regulations around county of origin only mention the term "appellations," and SB 185 would change that to include "appellations of origin." Both of these changes would benefit the Humboldt County cannabis industry as many local cannabis products differentiate themselves in the marketplace because of their strict dedication to organic processes, and the Agricultural Commissioner's Office even has an "artisan" designation for cultivators who use organic practices. Finally, the appellations of origin specification would benefit Humboldt as this ...
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