California Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer has introduced legislation designed to protect cannabis consumers and the legal cannabis market by enhancing testing and labeling standards.
“As consumers, we all want to know that what we purchase is safe, legal, and tested”, says Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer. “This is why I introduced AB 1610. As the cannabis industry continues to grow in California my bill will help protect consumers and maintain high quality cannabis products.”
Jones-Sawyer notes in a press release that the cannabis industry has seen product recalls in California, Michigan, Colorado, and Oklahoma for unsafe levels of mold, yeast, E. coli, and salmonella.
In addition, “California has seen a growing trend of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) inflation, where brand and labels overstate the level of THC in products to charge higher prices.” A recent sample of 150 randomly chosen CA products found that 87% had inaccurately high THC potency labels, which has led to multiple class-action lawsuits in California.
AB 1610 “builds on existing law by creating greater transparency and trust in the marketplace. The bill requires audits, shelf product testing, and blind proficiency lab testing.”
The measure also mandates that any product recall to be publicly reported to consumers online and in addition to requiring that all licensed labs be annually audited by the Department of Cannabis Control.
“When Californians voted to approve the cannabis use, we did so with a trust in the marketplace. Unfortunately, bad actors have violated that trust with improperly labeled products and artificially inflated prices,” said Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer. “This bill, with the ability to conduct testing and product review, improves accountability and gives regulators the tools to restore consumer trust.”
The full text of AB 1610, which can be officially heard in committee starting March 20th, can be found by clicking here.
