THE COALITION FOR RESPONSIBLE CANNABIS PRODUCTION ANNOUNCES FIRST WHITE PAPERS SUBMITTED FOR REGULATORY REVIEW BY ATTORNEYS GENERAL CANNABIS STUDY GROUPS
Nationally-Recognized Organizations Complete Seven Month Work on Comprehensive Cannabis Standards for Review By State Attorneys General
Seven months after being challenged by the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) to partner with and draft standards for the cannabis industry, the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Production (CRCP) announces that the first white papers are ready for review and have been submitted to states’ attorneys general.
CRCP received feedback on the white papers from its members, as well as the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH). The Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards (FOCUS) also submitted input before sending the drafts to CWAG for comments and responses from attorneys general cannabis study groups. The papers detail good manufacturing practices for all areas of the cannabis industry, including cultivation, retail, extraction, infused products, security, sustainability, packaging and labeling, and laboratory testing.
“Our group’s members need to see standards. We need to see regulations. We need to see protocols,” said Karen White, executive director of the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG). “At our July 2015 meeting, attorneys general from across the nation asked this partnership to give us your best suggestions. The industry needed to get organized and take the initiative to get regulatory standards on the table. Through the Coalition, they have responded and we are listening. The Coalition has been a credible resource for our national study groups to turn to.”
“We are looking forward to reviewing these options for standards, developed by these national leaders in the cannabis industry who have taken the lead in working with the attorneys general cannabis study groups,” said Karl A. Racine, Attorney General of the District of Columbia. “This valuable input will start the conversation on how the industry can begin to initiate appropriate parameters of regulatory discipline, using tough standards that will hold producers accountable, while protecting public health and safety, as well as consumers. Further, jurisdictions like the District that are dealing with the impacts of legalization will be able to insure that best practices are established.” General Racine went on to state, “I applaud CWAG for taking the lead in establishing the study groups. This action allows public policy makers the opportunity to study and review potential issues in a very legitimate and methodical way.”
The multidisciplinary approach of these three nationally recognized organizations brings a robust 360-degree approach to cannabis industry standards policy, building upon strong working relationships with attorneys general throughout the nation.
“The industry is excited to work diligently and responsibly on these standards. We welcome the leadership role CWAG has taken, and believe that the attorneys general are a very important body of regulators with which to collaborate,” said Michael Bronstein, Lead Consultant to the American Trade Association for Cannabis & Hemp.
“The lack of federal oversight has left a significant gap in the cannabis industry, leaving the health and safety of patients and consumers at risk. FOCUS standards were created to address that need,” said Lezli Engelking, founder of FOCUS.
This month, the FOCUS standards will be opened up for a 30-day public review period, providing all stakeholder groups with the opportunity to comment and ask questions before the standards are released into the marketplace. “FOCUS standards protect public health, promote consumer safety and safeguard the environment by providing business owners and regulators with cannabis specific guidelines that proactively control for quality,” Engelking said.
