Hello all,
As many of you are already aware, California’s three state cannabis licensing authorities (Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau of Cannabis Control; Department of Public Health’s Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch; and Department of Food and Agriculture’s CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division) released proposed emergency licensing regulations on Thursday, November 16, 2017. We will be providing comprehensive summaries for each license type in the coming days.
We understand that many of you are anxious to order compliant labels and packages per the updated regulations. Therefore, attached please find the revised Packaging and Labeling Compliance Check Worksheet per the Department of Public Health’s Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch’s newly released regulations. Please review carefully and ensure that your packages and labels will meet these standards. Although we will try to keep you informed with the most up-to-date regulations, they are subject to further change.
Additionally, please note the following important updates:
THC Limits
- Edibles
- 10 mg serving
- 100 mg per package
- Tinctures, Capsules, Topicals
- 10000 mg/package for adult-use
- 2,000 mg/package for medicinal-use
Universal Symbol

Prohibited Products
- Products cannot be infused with nicotine or alcohol or have added caffeine.
- Edible products cannot be shaped like a human, animal, insect, or fruit.
- The label may not refer to the product as a candy.
- Meat and seafood, and other products requiring refrigeration, are prohibited for sale as cannabis products. Juice and dried meat made in accordance with requirements are allowed.
What is “child resistant” packaging?
A package is deemed child-resistant if it satisfies the standard for “special packaging” under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 (16 C.F.R. §1700.1(b)(4)).
- 16 C.F.R. §1700.1(b)(4): Special packaging means packaging that is designed or constructed to be significantly difficult for children under 5 years of age to open or obtain a toxic or harmful amount of the substance contained therein within a reasonable time and not difficult for normal adults to use properly, but does not mean packaging which all such children cannot open or obtain a toxic or harmful amount within a reasonable time.
Transition Period
During the Transition Period between January 1, 2018 – July 1, 2018, licensees may do the following:
- Conduct business with other licensees irrespective of the M or A designation on their licenses.
- Transport cannabis goods that do not meet the labeling requirements (prescribed by MAUCRSA or the California Department of Public Health) if a sticker with the appropriate warning statement is affixed.
- Sell cannabis goods held in inventory that are not in child-resistant packaging if they are placed into child-resistant packaging by the retailer at the time of sale.
- Sell cannabis products that do not meet the medicinal THC limits per package established by the state Department of Public Health.
- Sell and transport cannabis goods that have not undergone laboratory testing if a label stating that they have not been tested is affixed to each package containing the goods prior to transport by a distributor or prior to sale if held by a retailer. “These cannabis goods have not been tested as required under BPC Section 26070(1).”
- Individually package and sell dried flower held in inventory by a retailer at the time of licensure.
- Cannabis products held in inventory by a retailer that do not meet the requirements set by the state Department of Public Health for ingredients or appearance may be sold by a retailer.
Products in possession of a manufacturer prior to January 1, 2018 may enter the commercial cannabis market provided that all of the following conditions are met:
- The cannabis product is packaged in child-resistant packaging.
- The cannabis product contains the government warning required (GOVERNMENT WARNING: THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS CANNABIS, A SCHEDULE I CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND ANIMALS. CANNABIS PRODUCTS MAY ONLY BE POSSESSED OR CONSUMED BY PERSONS 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER UNLESS THE PERSON IS A QUALIFIED PATIENT. THE INTOXICATING EFFECTS OF CANNABIS PRODUCTS MAY BE DELAYED UP TO TWO HOURS. CANNABIS USE WHILE PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING MAY BE HARMFUL. CONSUMPTION OF CANNABIS PRODUCTS IMPAIRS YOUR ABILITY TO DRIVE AND OPERATE MACHINERY. PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION.)
- The cannabis product contains the amount of THC and, if applicable, CBD per serving and per package.
Therefore all inventory prior to January 1, 2018, should be date-stamped to ensure that they are able to transported and sold during the Transition Period.
Should you have any questions about any of the above, or would like us to review your specific packages/labels to ensure compliance, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.
Thank you, stay safe, and good luck out there! Todd Winter, WINTER LLP.