The California Department of Public Health is now expected to work on rules to implement legislation that also regulates the sale of cannabinoid-infused cosmetics and pet foods.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill late Wednesday allowing a formal pathway for hemp-based CBD to be used legally in beverages, food and other products, such as dietary supplements.
The now-signed legislation expands the hemp industry in California by legalizing retail sales of hemp-derived consumable products, according to a press release from the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA).
The bill, AB 45, sponsored by Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, is a foundation for legally selling smokable hemp in California. However, lawmakers are required to approve a measure to establish a tax scheme for those products before they hit the shelves.
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“We cannot thank the author enough for her tireless and unparalleled work to get comprehensive hemp regulations passed. Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry has been steadfast in her approach to create a level playing field between cannabis and hemp while protecting the health and safety of all Californians,” wrote the CCIA.
While passage of a tax measure is anticipated during the following year’s session, hemp producers are allowed to start growing and manufacturing smokable products to be sold in other states.
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Apart from containing various requirements for testing and labeling hemp products, the bill laid out rules for the sale of products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids in California manufactured in other states.
“I knew that there was a need, and I knew that we needed to make sure that [hemp products were] safe and have been tested and had good labeling,” Aguiar-Curry told the U.S. Hemp Roundtable in a recent interview.
The California Department of Public Health is now expected to work on rules to implement legislation that also regulates the sale of cannabinoid-infused cosmetics and pet foods.
In addition, Newsom recently signed a bill requiring hospitals and other health care facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in the state.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.
