Pubdate: Fri, 19 Feb 2016
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Associated Press
Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388

COLORADO DEBATES ORGANIC LABELS

DENVER (AP) - Marijuana has attracted many labels in its time. On 
Friday, Colorado lawmakers debate whether the state should give the 
drug one more often associated with purple carrots than purple haze - 
certified organic.

Colorado starts work Friday on becoming the first state to regulate 
organic labels in its pot industry, with other legal weed states 
watching to see whether they too should step in to help consumers 
wondering what's on their weed. Organic standards are regulated 
federally, and pot remains illegal at the federal level, meaning 
there's nothing stopping commercial pot growers from calling their 
wares organic.

"Consumers have a right to know what they're putting in their body," 
said Colorado Rep. Jonathan Singer, a Democrat sponsoring the bill to 
create the state-sanctioned labels. The bill has its first hearing 
Friday in the state House Public Health Care and Human Services 
Committee. The measure doesn't specify what growers would have to do 
to get the certification, it instead directs the state's agricultural 
department to get a third party to draft the regulations.

Consumer confusion over organic marijuana peaked in Colorado earlier 
this year, when Denver health authorities seized thousands of 
marijuana plants from growers suspected of using off-limits chemicals 
on their plants. Most of the plants were ultimately released, but 
some were sold with names that suggested the products were natural or organic.

Colorado is likely just the first state to tighten the rules for 
advertising marijuana products as organic, said Chris Lindsey, 
legislative analyst for the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom