This week, RCRC sent a letter to CalCannabis, the licensing entity for cannabis cultivators within the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), on its formal rulemaking for the creation of a Cannabis Appellations of Origin program. Senate Bill 94 (2017) required CDFA to establish a process for Cannabis Appellations of Origin by January 1, 2021. Appellations are a legally protected labeling system designed for consumers to understand where a product was produced and with what standards or characteristics the industry has employed. A robust appellations system is envisioned to ward off the commoditization of cannabis and thus provide a vibrant economy for growers, manufacturers, and distributors, as well as support consumer confidence, and ultimately provide the tax revenue voters intended for youth programs, environmental cleanup, and public safety through the passage of Proposition 64 (2016).
More information on Cannabis Appellations can be found here. RCRC’s letter, which is the result of RCRC’s participation in the working group that was convened by CalCannabis, can be accessed here.