CaCOA Takes Strong Stand on CDPH Hemp Regulations to Protect Cannabis Industry (Join us!)

This week, the California Cannabis Operators Association (CaCOA) submitted comprehensive feedback to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regarding their proposed industrial hemp regulations. Our comments focused on the critical need to establish clear definitions before addressing serving sizes and age restrictions for hemp products.

"The risks associated with a product containing only naturally extracted, non-intoxicating compounds are fundamentally different from those containing synthetic or chemically altered intoxicants," our letter emphasized. "If CDPH moves forward without clearly affirming this definition, it risks lending legitimacy to unsafe, intoxicating products currently sold under the guise of 'hemp' — opening the door to confusion, exploitation, and serious public health consequences."

Our response outlined three key recommendations:

Reaffirm and enforce the definition of hemp products to exclude any detectable THC and any chemically synthesized cannabinoids, including those marketed as "hemp-derived."
Set allowable serving sizes based on real-world consumption behaviors and apply science-based limits for naturally extracted, non-psychoactive compounds.
Determine appropriate age restrictions only after clarifying which products qualify as hemp, ensuring rules are grounded in product content, not just branding.

As our letter stated, "Unless CDPH addresses the definitional issue first, serving size and age restrictions will fall short — or worse, provide a false sense of safety while enabling harmful products to proliferate."

We encourage all members to submit their own comments by email to FDBComments@cdph.ca.gov. You can use our response as guidance for your submission.

If you need assistance or additional information, please contact Amy O'Gorman Jenkins (ed@cacoa.org) or Josh Lewis (jlewis@cacoa.org).