There are many ways to consume cannabis. Long gone are the days when everyone just smoked joints or used small metal pipes. The cannabis consumer is getting more sophisticated every day, especially in Colorado. More and more people in Colorado are consuming cannabis edibles and concentrates. This has led to the need for regulations specific to edibles and concentrates.
Edibles and concentrates are trickier to regulate than flower. Edibles and concentrates involve flower, but also require additional processes. Dosage levels are stronger than flower, which creates even more issues. Getting the right regulations is important to minimize issues as Colorado continues to implement cannabis legalization. Of course, Maureen Dowd illustrated the need for both proper labeling and responsible use in her recent column detailing her experience when eating too much of edible, particularly for a novice.
Two new bills have been signed that will hopefully get solid and fair regulations in place. Per High Times:
Last week, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a pair of bills intended to establish tighter regulations for cannabis edibles and concentrates throughout the state. The edible legislation creates a task force to design packaging and labeling to ensure pot-edible products are clearly distinguishable from regular food products, especially critical for cannabis-laced items like cookies and candy that can potentially appeal to children.
The concentrate legislation authorizes a scientific study to guide the State Licensing Authority in establishing the equivalency of one ounce of pot in cannabis retail products, such as hash oil. Some lawmakers have expressed concern that an ounce of cannabis concentrate is considerably more potent than an ounce of flowers.
Colorado and Washington are doing something that no other state in America has ever done before – implement cannabis legalization. Creating regulations from scratch is no easy task, for any industry. There is no playbook for how to implement cannabis legalization properly. The rules are being written and re-written as the process goes along. However, I think Colorado is doing a stellar job at navigating the uncharted territory.
