CO: Local Pot Shops Prepare For New Rules

Katelyn Baker

Well-Known Member
If you want to buy 280 chocolate bars infused with 100 milligrams of cannabis at one time, do it before Saturday.

New rules limiting how much a person can purchase at cannabis outlets here and across the state are set to go into effect, as are regulations intended to protect children from accidentally ingesting things like gummy candies.

A letter sent Monday to marijuana industry stakeholders from the Colorado Department of Revenue's marijuana enforcement division reminds retail stores that, starting Saturday, they can sell customers up to one ounce of cannabis flower, or 28 grams a day.

That's the same as now, but the change comes in the amount of concentrates, which are highly potent, and edibles a person can buy. Until Saturday, a person could theoretically buy 14 grams of flower, 8 grams of concentrate and six, 100-mg edible products.

Even under those rules, local employees said such large purchases were rare; concentrates, given their significant potency, are much more expensive. Soon, such a purchase will be illegal.

State officials, after a lengthy scientific study prompted by 2014 legislation, decided that eight, 100-mg bars would be the equivalent of 1 ounce of flower. Similarly, the new rule will allow a person to buy 8 grams of concentrate a day, considering that to be the same as an ounce of regular cannabis.

Products like ointments and balms, because they are not psychoactive, are exempt.

Starting Saturday, a person can still mix and match, just with trickier math. Here's the explanation from mycomplia.com, which is comprised of a team of marijuana-compliance officers:

"For example, a customer could purchase a half-ounce of flower, two grams of concentrate and 200-mg of infused product. Or, that customer could purchase 4 grams of concentrate and 400-mg of infused product. There are a wide range of possible purchase combinations, but all purchases must be equivalent to 1 ounce or less of flower."

Another new requirement is a mandatory universal symbol that indicates the product contains marijuana. By Saturday, all manufacturers of cannabis-infused products must put the symbol, which is a diamond enclosing the letters THC below an exclamation point, on the front of all items. Below the symbol must be the words, "Contains Marijuana. Keep out of reach of children."

Also on the edible side, the symbol must be stamped on the food product itself, including single standardized servings (usually 10-mg).

"The symbol will help both consumers and non-consumers easily identify marijuana products, understand what a standard serving size is and avoid unintentional ingestion," says a revenue department press release. "Equally important, these rules will allow parents, school officials and other authorities to identify marijuana products even when not in packaging."

Finally, all marijuana products must be labeled with a potency statement regarding its THC potency, a contaminant-testing statement and other relevant consumer information.

"Our priority is protecting the public health and safety of all Coloradans," said Barbara Brohl, executive director of the department of revenue, in a press release. "We collaborated extensively with all stakeholders to develop sensible rules that will provide consumers more information about what they're buying and to ensure marijuana stays out of the hands of children.

"It is critical for retail and medical marijuana businesses licensed by the department of revenue to understand their role in implementing these new rules on time."

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News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Local Pot Shops Prepare For New Rules
Author: Staff
Contact: 970-925-2220
Photo Credit: Jeff Chiu
Website: Aspen Daily News
 
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