A California state auditor’s file launched Aug. 7 may just spark hashish regulatory adjustments associated with product packaging, trade inspections, consequences, flavors for inhalants, or even pressure names, reminiscent of Lemon Cherry Gelato.
The 53-page file from California State Auditor Grant Parks’ place of work outlines key findings, together with packaging and pressure names which can be sexy to kids, and a loss of sources throughout the state’s Division of Hashish Keep watch over (DCC) to correctly determine and monitor repeat offenders.
Parks’ audit of the DCC particularly targeted at the division’s adolescence promoting and advertising enforcement.
“We discovered that state legislation and DCC’s laws about design parts which can be sexy to kids are unspecific, resulting in subjective and every so often inconsistent determinations of whether or not hashish product packaging is compliant,” Parks wrote in an Aug. 7 letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders within the California Senate and Meeting.
“Moreover, DCC does no longer adequately self-discipline the hashish companies that it licenses (licensees) who time and again violate laws referring to beauty to kids,” he wrote. “DCC’s inspectors shouldn’t have constant documentation practices, and lets no longer conclude that DCC persistently assessments a licensee’s compliance historical past when comparing whether or not that licensee is promoting a hashish product with packaging this is sexy to kids.”
Parks beneficial that state lawmakers explain design parts which can be prohibited from hashish packaging, and that the DCC give a boost to its documentation whilst additionally specifying consequences to disincentivize repeat offenders.
Moreover, the state auditor discovered that the DCC’s laws don’t adequately restrict flavors in hashish inhalants, and that the dept does no longer keep an eye on the usage of pressure names on product packaging that recommend flavors are sexy to kids. Parks particularly referred to as out pressure names like Cherry Pie, Tropicana Punch and Lemon Cherry Gelato, the latter of which was once a top-10 bestseller for California operators in 2024.
Some hashish pressure names are most likely sexy to kids, in step with the California State Auditor.auditor.ca.gov
Parks beneficial that lawmakers specify in state legislation what flavors are prohibited and that the DCC keep an eye on the usage of hashish pressure names on product packaging that recommend flavors sexy to kids.
In urging legislative and departmental motion, the state auditor referred to as consideration to a selected public protection pattern that ensued after California citizens handed Proposition 64 to legalize adult-use hashish within the November 2016 election.
Within the file, Parks issues out that there was once a 469% building up within the choice of calls to the California Poison Keep watch over Gadget associated with unintentional hashish ingestion for youngsters 5 years and more youthful—from 148 calls in 2016 to 842 calls in 2023.
In a July 22 reaction to the state auditor’s draft file, DCC Director Nicole Elliott stated the dept stays dedicated to combating adolescence publicity to hashish. On the other hand, she stated the ones numbers don’t inform the entire tale.
“Publicity of youngsters to hashish is a significant and rising factor,” Elliott wrote. “Those statistics don’t differentiate between circumstances associated with criminal and controlled hashish merchandise and circumstances with unregulated, unlawful merchandise reminiscent of hemp-derived THC edibles, home made hashish edibles, or different illicit merchandise with out formal get right of entry to restrictions.”
Inside of a yr of California launching approved adult-use hashish gross sales in January 2018, the government handed the 2018 Farm Invoice, increasing the legalization of hemp from pilot systems to full-scale implementation. On account of imprecise language within the federal regulation, intoxicating hemp merchandise—particularly consumable merchandise—proliferated national, leaving states like California suffering to keep an eye on {the marketplace}.
Parks stated within the audit that suitable for eating THC merchandise, specifically, attraction to adolescence as a result of their form, colour and style, in addition to colourful branding and promoting of fruity or sweet flavors.
Along with hemp, California hashish regulators and enforcement officers have in large part been unsuccessful in removing the illicit marketplace: In line with a March 2025 file commissioned through the DCC, California produced more or less 11.4 million kilos of unregulated hashish in comparison to 1.4 million kilos of regulated hashish in 2024.
If the unregulated hashish has a equivalent retail worth to the approved hashish, then that suggests California produced more or less $42 billion in hashish remaining yr, with $4.7 billion bought legally within the state, more or less $7.8 billion bought illegally within the state, and every other more or less $29 billion shipped out of state.
“DCC cautions in opposition to overstating regulated hashish’s have an effect on at the building up in publicity of youngsters,” Elliott wrote. “Whilst regulated hashish has grow to be extra extensively to be had, publicly to be had knowledge nonetheless displays that most effective not up to part of California has get right of entry to to regulated hashish merchandise, whilst all the state continues to have get right of entry to to illicit or unregulated hashish. Those different merchandise are virtually no doubt vital individuals. Addressing this factor calls for a complete figuring out of the entire techniques kids are uncovered to hashish.”
Elliott additionally identified that kids are much less prone to get right of entry to hashish that’s regulated through child-resistant packaging and point-of-sale age verification than unregulated merchandise.
However, Parks took factor with the DCC’s practices, claiming that 14 of 40 hashish merchandise his place of work reviewed had pictures of meals or sweet at the packaging. This product assessment incorporated 24 edibles, six drinks, 4 concentrates, 3 tinctures, one flower, one pre-roll and one topical.
Regardless of DCC’s Law Prohibiting Cartoons, Packaging on Some Hashish Merchandise Introduced Caricature Pictures of Mealsauditor.ca.gov
Parks identified that Oregon “makes use of a perfect observe” through requiring its hashish fee to check packaging ahead of a hashish product is going to marketplace, and that Oregon additionally limits positive pressure names. He prompt that the California Legislature imagine adopting a equivalent procedure, together with prohibiting bubble and cartoon-like fonts and vibrant or neon colours on packaging.
The California auditor additionally defined what it referred to as subjected determinations through the dept.
“As an example, DCC reviewed 3 equivalent hashish crispy rice deal with programs and located that just one was once sexy to kids,” in step with the file. “We imagine that pictures of meals like marshmallows, cereals, end result, and chocolate chips are sexy to kids.”
Pictures of meals or sweet kids would possibly like, together with pictures of the product itself, in step with the California State Auditor.auditor.ca.gov
Parks additionally decided that the DCC has taken “minimum motion” in opposition to licensees who use packaging that the auditor’s place of work believes is sexy to kids, and that the dept does no longer adequately monitor repeat offenders.
“DCC reviews that it most effective has the sources to check up on about part of the state’s licensees according to yr however would preferably check up on each and every licensee every year,” in step with the file. “DCC neither adequately tracks nor escalates consequences for repeat violators. As an example, one licensee violated laws that restrict packaging this is sexy to kids 4 instances, but DCC didn’t building up consequences.”
Relating to sources, the DCC has performed more or less 3,875 inspections every year since 2022, but the state has more or less 8,900 licensees, in step with the file.
Whilst the DCC indicated that it could paintings with state lawmakers on any regulation due to the auditor’s file, division officers disagreed with Parks’ conclusion that they wish to regulate their disciplinary movements for repeat offenders, in step with the file. Elliott stated the DCC follows a structured solution to self-discipline.
On the other hand, DCC body of workers did percentage concepts with Parks’ place of work about in all probability enforcing packaging laws to ban:
- Pictures of anthropomorphized fruit, sweet, and confections
- All characters, human or another way
- Pictures of animals and people
- Holographic packaging or stickers
“Addressing ‘beauty to kids’ generally is a difficult factor,” Elliott wrote. “The problem DCC should conquer in its effort to rein in damaging packaging parts is what’s ‘sexy to kids’ may also be inherently subjective, culturally influenced, and dynamic through the years. This effort will at all times be a piece in development as cultural developments and tastes trade. DCC’s present laws purpose to provide the dept flexibility to change its determinations as branding and packaging evolve with present developments and associations. The dept welcomes enter on how perfect to toughen this effort.”
A California state auditor’s file launched Aug. 7 may just spark hashish regulatory adjustments associated with product packaging, trade inspections, consequences, flavors for inhalants, or even pressure names, reminiscent of Lemon Cherry Gelato.
The 53-page file from California State Auditor Grant Parks’ place of work outlines key findings, together with packaging and pressure names which can be sexy to kids, and a loss of sources throughout the state’s Division of Hashish Keep watch over (DCC) to correctly determine and monitor repeat offenders.
Parks’ audit of the DCC particularly targeted at the division’s adolescence promoting and advertising enforcement.
“We discovered that state legislation and DCC’s laws about design parts which can be sexy to kids are unspecific, resulting in subjective and every so often inconsistent determinations of whether or not hashish product packaging is compliant,” Parks wrote in an Aug. 7 letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders within the California Senate and Meeting.
“Moreover, DCC does no longer adequately self-discipline the hashish companies that it licenses (licensees) who time and again violate laws referring to beauty to kids,” he wrote. “DCC’s inspectors shouldn’t have constant documentation practices, and lets no longer conclude that DCC persistently assessments a licensee’s compliance historical past when comparing whether or not that licensee is promoting a hashish product with packaging this is sexy to kids.”
Parks beneficial that state lawmakers explain design parts which can be prohibited from hashish packaging, and that the DCC give a boost to its documentation whilst additionally specifying consequences to disincentivize repeat offenders.
Moreover, the state auditor discovered that the DCC’s laws don’t adequately restrict flavors in hashish inhalants, and that the dept does no longer keep an eye on the usage of pressure names on product packaging that recommend flavors are sexy to kids. Parks particularly referred to as out pressure names like Cherry Pie, Tropicana Punch and Lemon Cherry Gelato, the latter of which was once a top-10 bestseller for California operators in 2024.Some hashish pressure names are most likely sexy to kids, in step with the California State Auditor.auditor.ca.gov
Parks beneficial that lawmakers specify in state legislation what flavors are prohibited and that the DCC keep an eye on the usage of hashish pressure names on product packaging that recommend flavors sexy to kids.
In urging legislative and departmental motion, the state auditor referred to as consideration to a selected public protection pattern that ensued after California citizens handed Proposition 64 to legalize adult-use hashish within the November 2016 election.
Within the file, Parks issues out that there was once a 469% building up within the choice of calls to the California Poison Keep watch over Gadget associated with unintentional hashish ingestion for youngsters 5 years and more youthful—from 148 calls in 2016 to 842 calls in 2023.
In a July 22 reaction to the state auditor’s draft file, DCC Director Nicole Elliott stated the dept stays dedicated to combating adolescence publicity to hashish. On the other hand, she stated the ones numbers don’t inform the entire tale.
“Publicity of youngsters to hashish is a significant and rising factor,” Elliott wrote. “Those statistics don’t differentiate between circumstances associated with criminal and controlled hashish merchandise and circumstances with unregulated, unlawful merchandise reminiscent of hemp-derived THC edibles, home made hashish edibles, or different illicit merchandise with out formal get right of entry to restrictions.”
Inside of a yr of California launching approved adult-use hashish gross sales in January 2018, the government handed the 2018 Farm Invoice, increasing the legalization of hemp from pilot systems to full-scale implementation. On account of imprecise language within the federal regulation, intoxicating hemp merchandise—particularly consumable merchandise—proliferated national, leaving states like California suffering to keep an eye on {the marketplace}.
Parks stated within the audit that suitable for eating THC merchandise, specifically, attraction to adolescence as a result of their form, colour and style, in addition to colourful branding and promoting of fruity or sweet flavors.
Along with hemp, California hashish regulators and enforcement officers have in large part been unsuccessful in removing the illicit marketplace: In line with a March 2025 file commissioned through the DCC, California produced more or less 11.4 million kilos of unregulated hashish in comparison to 1.4 million kilos of regulated hashish in 2024.
If the unregulated hashish has a equivalent retail worth to the approved hashish, then that suggests California produced more or less $42 billion in hashish remaining yr, with $4.7 billion bought legally within the state, more or less $7.8 billion bought illegally within the state, and every other more or less $29 billion shipped out of state.
“DCC cautions in opposition to overstating regulated hashish’s have an effect on at the building up in publicity of youngsters,” Elliott wrote. “Whilst regulated hashish has grow to be extra extensively to be had, publicly to be had knowledge nonetheless displays that most effective not up to part of California has get right of entry to to regulated hashish merchandise, whilst all the state continues to have get right of entry to to illicit or unregulated hashish. Those different merchandise are virtually no doubt vital individuals. Addressing this factor calls for a complete figuring out of the entire techniques kids are uncovered to hashish.”
Elliott additionally identified that kids are much less prone to get right of entry to hashish that’s regulated through child-resistant packaging and point-of-sale age verification than unregulated merchandise.
However, Parks took factor with the DCC’s practices, claiming that 14 of 40 hashish merchandise his place of work reviewed had pictures of meals or sweet at the packaging. This product assessment incorporated 24 edibles, six drinks, 4 concentrates, 3 tinctures, one flower, one pre-roll and one topical.
Regardless of DCC’s Law Prohibiting Cartoons, Packaging on Some Hashish Merchandise Introduced Caricature Pictures of Mealsauditor.ca.gov
Parks identified that Oregon “makes use of a perfect observe” through requiring its hashish fee to check packaging ahead of a hashish product is going to marketplace, and that Oregon additionally limits positive pressure names. He prompt that the California Legislature imagine adopting a equivalent procedure, together with prohibiting bubble and cartoon-like fonts and vibrant or neon colours on packaging.
The California auditor additionally defined what it referred to as subjected determinations through the dept.
“As an example, DCC reviewed 3 equivalent hashish crispy rice deal with programs and located that just one was once sexy to kids,” in step with the file. “We imagine that pictures of meals like marshmallows, cereals, end result, and chocolate chips are sexy to kids.”
Pictures of meals or sweet kids would possibly like, together with pictures of the product itself, in step with the California State Auditor.auditor.ca.gov
Parks additionally decided that the DCC has taken “minimum motion” in opposition to licensees who use packaging that the auditor’s place of work believes is sexy to kids, and that the dept does no longer adequately monitor repeat offenders.
“DCC reviews that it most effective has the sources to check up on about part of the state’s licensees according to yr however would preferably check up on each and every licensee every year,” in step with the file. “DCC neither adequately tracks nor escalates consequences for repeat violators. As an example, one licensee violated laws that restrict packaging this is sexy to kids 4 instances, but DCC didn’t building up consequences.”
Relating to sources, the DCC has performed more or less 3,875 inspections every year since 2022, but the state has more or less 8,900 licensees, in step with the file.
Whilst the DCC indicated that it could paintings with state lawmakers on any regulation due to the auditor’s file, division officers disagreed with Parks’ conclusion that they wish to regulate their disciplinary movements for repeat offenders, in step with the file. Elliott stated the DCC follows a structured solution to self-discipline.
On the other hand, DCC body of workers did percentage concepts with Parks’ place of work about in all probability enforcing packaging laws to ban:
- Pictures of anthropomorphized fruit, sweet, and confections
- All characters, human or another way
- Pictures of animals and people
- Holographic packaging or stickers
“Addressing ‘beauty to kids’ generally is a difficult factor,” Elliott wrote. “The problem DCC should conquer in its effort to rein in damaging packaging parts is what’s ‘sexy to kids’ may also be inherently subjective, culturally influenced, and dynamic through the years. This effort will at all times be a piece in development as cultural developments and tastes trade. DCC’s present laws purpose to provide the dept flexibility to change its determinations as branding and packaging evolve with present developments and associations. The dept welcomes enter on how perfect to toughen this effort.”
