Breaking: Newsom signs groundbreaking cannabis packaging bill, vetoes another

Newsom has signed and vetoed two bills that directly impacts cannabis packaging.

SIGNED: SB-67: Cannabis marketing: appellations of origin: county, city or city and county of origin

California is now leading the industry with a cannabis appellations program. The appellations program will allow CDFA to define cannabis labels that are legally defined and protected. This program is modeled after wine appellations. Wines can only use the labels Champagne or Napa Valley if grown in Champagne or Napa Valley due to the environmental conditions, including soil and climate, that give a wine its unique flavor and aroma.

The big difference for cannabis is indoor grow houses. 

The signed bill will “limit the approval of appellations of origin for cannabis unless it requires the practice of planting in the ground in flowering areas and excludes the practices of using artificial lighting and structures in flowering areas.” 

Additionally, the bill will “require the department to establish standards by which a licensed cultivator may designate a city or city and county of origin for cannabis produced 100% within the designated city or city and county.” 

VETOED: AB-1470: Cannabis testing

Current cannabis legislation and regulations cause packaging to be needlessly wasted. Clearly, this is ecologically unsound and expensive. AB-1470 was an attempt to remove this hurdle. Unfortunately, it was vetoed.

In his veto message, Newsom stated that the bill “would provide that cannabis goods do not have to be in final retail packaging when being tested by laboratories to ensure compliance with current health and safety standards. This bill conflicts with current regulations promulgated by cannabis licensing authorities that prevent contaminated and unsafe products from entering the retail market. While I support reducing packaging waste, allowing products to be tested not in their final retail form could result in consumer harm and have a disproportionate impact on small operators.” 

He additionally stated that the 2021 consolidation of California cannabis regulatory agencies should consider a regulation change as an alternative to this bill.

Conclusion

Cannabis is an emerging market with frequent regulatory changes such as these. Working with a packaging partner such as Inkbrite ensures you have experts on your side. Inkbrite’s full service solution takes you from concept to ready to pack in record time. 

This article is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. This article outlines Inkbrite’s internal policies and should not be interpreted as legal guidance. For legal counsel, please contact your attorney. 

If you need beautifully designed, compliant packaging for your cannabis products, please contact solutions@inkbrite.com. Is your existing packaging compliant? Inkbrite can tell you with a compliance review.