MJBiz - July/August 2024 - 20

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS State by State
California
State regulators are initiating more cannabis product recalls and health warnings to consumers.
Through early June, California regulators had issued at least 23 cannabis product recalls,
easily surpassing the three recalls per year issued in both 2023 and 2022.
" These recalls are the result of increased inspections and product testing, " Department of
Cannabis Control spokesperson Moorea Warren said.
MJBizDaily reported in April that several of the recalls this year have been prompted by the
presence of aspergillus, a fungus that can grow on cannabis plants. Then, on June 3, the DCC
issued a mandatory recall of flower products from BloomBox Flower and Pat's Flower sold on
or after Oct. 9, 2023.
In late May, the health department warned consumers not to drink Mary Jones hempinfused
sodas. The health department said it is working with other state agencies to find, test
and remove those products from shelves.
Gov. Gavin Newsom in April directed the health department and the state's Department of
Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue notices addressing the sale and distribution of illegal hemp
products.
Colorado
Licensed cannabis stores will be allowed to sell food and beverages under a bill approved by
state lawmakers. The measure, which also relaxes other restrictions, permits cannabis retailers
to sell " non-marijuana consumable products, " including food, provided sales of such products
do not account for more than 20% of overall revenue.
Approved May 8 by the Colorado General Assembly, the bipartisan Senate Bill 24-76 also:
* Allows businesses to renew licenses every two years instead of annually.
* Permits operators with multiple licenses to use a single " unified application process. "
* Empowers the state Marijuana Enforcement Division to ditch a requirement for radio
frequency identification (RFID) tags on regulated marijuana by 2027.
* Allows retesting if a product has failed a test. (The measure also removes a requirement
that products that failed testing be labeled as such, provided they pass a subsequent
test.)
* Permits interstate trade in cannabis genetic material.
Connecticut
Gov. Ned Lamont halted the distribution of funds from the state's marijuana social equity
fund while the program is reviewed.
Lamont called for a halt to the distribution of roughly $33.4 million in funding as well as
the audit " in response to complaints from members of the state's legislative Black and Puerto
Rican Caucus and other stakeholders. " The complaints were spurred by a concern that the
Social Equity Council (SEC), which distributes the funds, " hasn't been transparent. "
Lamont requested that the state comptroller conduct " a comprehensive review of the SEC,
focusing on areas such as governance practices, decision-making processes, financial management,
program effectiveness, criteria used in awarding grants and contracts, stakeholder
engagement and adherence to relevant statutes and regulations. "
Meanwhile, Connecticut's medical marijuana program's board of physicians added autism
and female orgasmic difficulty/disorder as qualifying conditions.
20 July-August 2024 | MJBizMagazine

MJBiz - July/August 2024

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