So, since my state has gone legal, I’ve been researching the rules and regs for cannabis related businesses. Even better is my town is in the 29% of municipalities that approved and set up a framework for canna businesses (the other 71% of municipalities want to see how it plays out, have banned all 6 classes of licenses but are expected to repeal those bans).
SO…
Interesting tidbit I have learned… According to my state, Cannabis is the legal and regulated form of the plant, and Marijuana is the stuff that you buy on the black market. How fuckin stupid is that? (pardon my french)… Make a distinction on WHAT it is based on WHERE you got it (despite it being the same damn plant).
The list of stupidity is endless, and the laws are clearly being crafted by people with NO knowledge of the industry. Edibles have been ignored so far (no regulations for them, means that manufacturers are processing cannabis into ??? oh, they CANT process edibles, carts, etc). I think manufacturers are just glorified pre-rolling companies at this stage. Another stupid regulation? Cultivators must package all product by the 1/4 ounce, regardless of sales to wholesaler, manufacturer or retail shop (can’t even sell direct). Thats a whole lotta baggies for a manufacturer to open when they wanna make something. Why not allow a QP, HP or Lb sales for wholesale / manufacturer, and make retailer sales be 1/4 ounces?
There’s some good / bad points too. Testing will be required on every strain in every batch. So if you wanna run 4 strains, and harvest 4 times a year, thats gonna be 16 tests. (with a sample of product being held for 12 months, to be tested at 6 and 12 months for “expiration date validity”). I don’t mind knowing there’s no pesticides, mold or rat shit in stuff offered for sale, but damn that changes up a grow plan and kills perpetual harvesting. They will be testing for THC / CBD obviously, but interestingly they will also be testing for terpenes and REQUIRE thc/cbd/terpenes to all be listed on packaging. That will be kinda neat to see…
Never thought I’d be researching a cannabis cultivator license in my lifetime… Yet here I am.
Man, that’s something else. You said it best yourself here - in many states…
It’s stupid, and you can find laws that make absolutely no sense in every state. I do like that the terpenes are required to be listed on packaging that’s pretty neat. The THC/CBD content is pretty standard from what I’ve noticed in other states.
My biggest gripe with how they handled recreational in my state is how they effectively killed medical. Before recreational there was a booming medical scene with regular meetups/trading etc. This has all but vanished. I long for the ability to share medicine and passion with like-minded people - medical meetups did this, and the state killed those meetups. I’m lucky to have OG since that’s the closest thing I have to it. It sucks that even in a recreational state I feel I can’t be open and honest about my passion.
Anyways I wish you the best of luck on your research, and hopefully you find it worth your time and effort to become a licensed cultivator!
They have a distinction here (so far). Existing medical providers are called ATCs (alternative treatment centers). Before they can sell recreational, they have to prove they will have enough to supply their medical customers, and medical users come before recreational. ATC’s had to be vertically integrated (grow, manufacture/process, sell) all their own stuff. The recreational market / license system is set to bust that up for new businesses (ATCs will be grandfathered, but still have new laws pertaining to recreational). New businesses generally can only hold one kind of license, cultivators can’t manufacture or retail, retail can’t cultivate, etc etc. I’m fine with that really.
I just hope the testing costs per batch/strain aren’t prohibitive. Initially I was calculating and planning on perpetual harvest, i.e. staggered, weekly harvests. It would even out the workload, but it would add to the testing costs (each week / strain / batch would need a test). sigh… But it makes sense that before you can release a batch, its been tested for pesticides / mold / etc… Just worry that it will force you into one style of growing as a result of wanting to minimize costs…
It’'s been an interesting read so far, especially my own town ordinances!
In my state so far edibles are a no no and it’s been 8 months and no legal recreational shops are even opened hell the towns are voting not to allow shops to open but 64 % of the people voted it legal we still can’t grow legally so far it sucks ass
I await the day I can go into a shop and buy weed and not be looked at as a druggie
It is interesting in seeing the differences various government bodies have taken in their respective legislations.
You get a sense of ‘who has their ear’. In Canada it is obviously business types as you see ‘the rules’ throwing up all manner of arbitrary barriers for anyone who doesn’t have deep pockets.
Its insane to me. Its reinventing the wheel, 50 friggen times. What research do we have to do, why do we have to spend 6 months, a year, crafting legislation that several other states have had in place, operating fine, for years now? Just copy that states legislation, change the states name and you’re done! NO, we all gotta do it our own way… But then again, the politicians and beurocrats need to feel like they are doing something to earn their pay.
The Federal gov considers it marijuana if it produces delta 9, further their distinction between hemp and marijuana, hemp is the stems stalks and sterilized seeds while marijuana is the leafs,bud and un-sterilized seed. You can google that and see it, way it always was
Ok, but hemp vs marijuana I can see… Grown for fibers, or grown for consumption.
In my states case.
That nugget of Grandaddy Purple you have, if you bought it at a store, thru legal channels, its considered cannabis. But if you bought it illegally from johnny on the corner, its marijuana. Bought for consumption the same way. If the cultivator was double dipping, nugs from the same plant could technically be considered differently…
Hemp vs Cannabis is a different argument considering the final product and usage goals.
if you ask me its the states own fault that there is still a black market problem, they could end that easily, just lower prices and make it so everyone can sell it and grow it, soon it wouldnt cost much,then it wouldnt be worth it to the black market cartels and such. But they chose the opposite route,“lets make it cost a bundle!”
Missouri has been taking notes. Small guys are all but frozen out and the ones getting the licenses are all part of cartel paying off our politicians to ensure their monopoly.
Missouri’s laws were so embarrassing when I looked. I actually lived out there for a bit, and considered trying to apply for licenses. As you said though it’s totally priced out.
What a joke, and it’s reflected in the prices of herb in the state. They’re seriously taking advantage of patients that really need the medicine.
Marijuana is a racist, biased term used to bamboozle the public into banning cannabis. If Anslinger tried to make cannabis illegal it would have never happened.
Well not even this. The federal definition of hemp = any part of the cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3% thc. So ANY cannabis plant NOT in flower = hemp by that definition. Too bad the state gets to tack on their own definition on top of the fed’s.
You two (and I) are in and talking about the same state aren’t we? The only state corrupt enough to insist on defining and legalizing “cannabis” but not marijuana.
I miss the medical days and I’m in Cali. The edibles took a hard dive. They use to be way stronger because I don’t think they knew how to dose them. I can’t feel shit unless it’s close to 200mg without smoking.
I don’t get the people buying the 5-10mg you know you don’t feel those
