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California Set To Regulate CBD After A Long Wait
California became the first state to legalize medicinal cannabis in 1996, demonstrating its progressive spirit to the world. The last few years however have detracted from this achievement as California, of all the states, has struggled to put measures in place to regulate CBD.
In 2018, hemp was legalized federally by the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill. This technically legalized hemp-derived CBD. As other states moved easily to allow the production and distribution of hemp-derived CBD products, the Golden state did not. Several efforts to regulate CBD in the state have failed. Last year, the state was able to pass a bill, AB-45, to regulate. However, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has not been able to implement it.
Emergency CBD Regulations
At the close of April 2022, the CDPH published a proposal of emergency regulations for CBD and opened a comment period that runs to the end of May 2022. Stakeholders have been encouraged to submit comments for amendments or improvements during this period. Guidance on how comments should be submitted can be accessed here.
Key points highlighted in the emergency regulations include:
- Licenses required for manufacturers
- Different types of product registrations
- Registration for out-of-state importers
- Fees which are based on gross revenue in the trailing 12 month period
This gives a basic overview of how California plans to regulate CBD in the near future. Some amendments are likely to be made once the comment period is closed and the final bill has been prepared. After four long years of waiting, this is definitely a step in the right direction for CBD in California.
