{"id":2454220,"date":"2020-02-06T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=320426"},"modified":"2020-02-06T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-02-06T20:00:00","slug":"high-country-cannabis-is-getting-certified-organic-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/high-country-cannabis-is-getting-certified-organic-in-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"High Country: Cannabis is getting certified organic in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.6520076481836\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-320426-821\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Getty Images | CCC\u2019s new labeling system will apply an \u201cOrganically Grown\" sticker on qualifying products in addition to all cannabis labeling already required by law which varies state. class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>CCC\u2019s new labeling system will apply an \u201cOrganically Grown&#8221; sticker on qualifying products in addition to all cannabis labeling already required by law, which varies by state. <\/strong><br \/>Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"CCC\u2019s new labeling system will apply an \u201cOrganically Grown\" sticker on qualifying products in addition to all cannabis labeling already required by law which varies state.><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-1-1024x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy Cannabis Certification Council \/ Youwho Brand | Just-released, new artwork for CCC's ongoing #WhatsInMyWeed campaign.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>Just-released, new artwork for CCC&#8217;s ongoing #WhatsInMyWeed campaign.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy Cannabis Certification Council \/ Youwho Brand<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-1-1024x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Just-released, new artwork for CCC's ongoing #WhatsInMyWeed campaign.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-2-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy Cannabis Certification Council \/ Youwho Brand | Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) addresses the fourth annual Cannabis Sustainability Symposium in Denver on October 4, 2019.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) addresses the fourth annual Cannabis Sustainability Symposium in Denver on October 4, 2019.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy Cannabis Certification Council \/ Youwho Brand<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/highcountry-atw-020620-4-2-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) addresses the fourth annual Cannabis Sustainability Symposium in Denver on October 4, 2019.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/high-country-cannabis-is-getting-certified-organic-in-2020\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/high-country-cannabis-is-getting-certified-organic-in-2020\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Do you know what\u2019s in your weed?<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">For the majority of cannabis consumers, the answer is a resounding no \u2014 despite claims from dispensaries, cultivators, or makers of derivative goods (i.e. edibles, topicals and tinctures).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabiscertificationcouncil.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Cannabis Certification Council (opens in a new tab)\">Cannabis Certification Council<\/a> (CCC) asked this very question in its <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabiscertificationcouncil.org\/whats-in-my-weed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"initial launch campaign. (opens in a new tab)\">initial launch campaign.<\/a> A cornerstone and continued message for the nonprofit #WhatsInMyWeed aims to make the connection clearer between organic, fine foods and cannabis. It\u2019s a still-necessary reminder that shoppers place priority on buying only-organic, fair trade, cage-free, and grass-fed (the list goes on \u2026) at the grocery store, yet when it comes to cannabis, there is far less concern about transparency and quality of what people are inhaling and ingesting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">In December at the annual <a href=\"https:\/\/mjbizconference.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"MJBizCon (opens in a new tab)\">MJBizCon<\/a> in Las Vegas, the Denver-based standard-holding body quietly announced an industry-wide cannabis certification program. This in-depth, years-in-the-works labeling system will apply a CCC \u201cOrganically Grown\u201d sticker on qualifying products in addition to all cannabis labeling already required by law, which varies by state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Embarking on the project last month, the CCC estimates the standard will take at least six months to develop and will involve a public input period that is required of all highly rated certifications. The standard will feature varying labels for indoor, greenhouse and outdoor hemp and marijuana production as well as cannabis-derived byproducts. Once in place, Organically Grown applicants will have to go through a monthslong process including multiple inspections in order to obtain the certification.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThe bulk of the problem the industry has been up against lies in false organic claims,\u201d explains Amy Andrle, co-owner of L\u2019Eagle, a vertically integrated marijuana company in Denver and CCC founding board member. \u201cCertification will help to clarify the market and inform consumers about what they are buying. And as the first cannabis label that everyone can clearly understand, a premium can be applied to certified products in the legal marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Before it was known as CCC, the organization was originally conceived in 2015 as the Organic Cannabis Association by co-founder and current board chair Ben Gelt. Realizing the synergy between its mission and that of the Portland-based Ethical Cannabis Alliance, the two organizations merged in 2018, officially forming the CCC to make their master plan a reality for the entire industry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Leslie McAhren, who\u2019s worked as the director of research and executive director at CG Corrigan for nine years, is using her role in CCC\u2019s Cannabis Sustainability Workgroup as part of her doctoral degree program at the University of Colorado School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cGrowing clean cannabis has been something we\u2019ve (CG Corrigan) been practicing for years, but converting this knowledge into a policy standard is the best way to protect the public\u2019s health and to inform consumers nationwide,\u201d McAhren says. \u201cHonestly, an organic standard is a natural progression for the cannabis industry and sustainable production.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Comparatively, \u201cUSDA Organic\u201d\u2014 the most widely known label applied to food and other agricultural products \u2014 considers hemp under its certifying umbrella as a result of the 2018 Farm Bill. Hemp growers in the U.S. can now cultivate under certain regulated situations with the USDA National Organic Program confirming that hemp managed organically can be certified organic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Gelt believes that hemp\u2019s increasing acknowledgment by the USDA will only help CCC\u2019s cause.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe are excited by this news because any effort to help drive transparency and greater consumer choice in cannabis is aligned with our mission,\u201d Gelt says. \u201cThe \u2018Organically Grown\u2019 standard will hold up to any and all scrutiny and will serve cannabis consumers well in making more informed choices about the products that they purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">According to McAhren, published scientific literature has already identified <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/acs.jafc.9b01559\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"pesticide residues in cannabis smoke (opens in a new tab)\">pesticide residues in cannabis smoke<\/a> (flower). As concentrates and edibles become more popular, it\u2019s important to understand pest management (pesticide use) practices in all facets of the cultivation and production process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI am anxious for the organic standard to prioritize integrated pest management and to have the EPA and USDA (not just the DEA) involved in pyrolysis (breakdown of larger molecules into smaller molecules in the presence of heat) studies and the regulation of cannabis,\u201d McAhren adds. \u201cThis will allow us to best explore the human health effects of pesticides used in cannabis cultivation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The new certification has been made possible by five founding sponsors including <a href=\"https:\/\/leagledenver.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"L\u2019Eagle (opens in a new tab)\">L\u2019Eagle<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cgoodinc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"CG Corrigan (opens in a new tab)\">CG Corrigan<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattlecannabis.co\/house-of-cultivar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"House of Cultivar (opens in a new tab)\">House of Cultivar<\/a>. Organically Grown will complement <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabiscertificationcouncil.org\/whats-in-my-weed\/clean-cannabis-certifications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"already-existing clean cannabis certifications (opens in a new tab)\">already-existing clean cannabis certifications<\/a> including Sun + Earth, Envirocann, Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards and The Cannabis Conservancy with ongoing fundraising initiatives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThis big cannabis social experiment is still in its earliest form, and there are a lot of gray areas that still need to be defined,\u201d says Matt Gaboury, owner of House of Cultivar, a large-scale indoor cannabis farm in Seattle. \u201cOne of the many holes is a lack of agreed-upon industry standards for certification of clean, organic and sustainable cannabis. Banding together now to set the foundation will effect future rules and regulations, and ultimately, have a global impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Shirttail\"><em>Katie Shapiro can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:katie@katieshapiromedia.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"katie@katieshapiromedia.com (opens in a new tab)\">katie@katieshapiromedia.com<\/a> and followed on Twitter <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bykatieshapiro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"@bykatieshapiro (opens in a new tab)\">@bykatieshapiro<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/high-country-cannabis-is-getting-certified-organic-in-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CCC\u2019s new labeling system will apply an \u201cOrganically Grown&#8221; sticker on qualifying products in addition to all cannabis labeling already required by law, which varies by state. Getty Images Just-released, new artwork for CCC&#8217;s ongoing #WhatsInMyWeed campaign.Courtesy Cannabis Certification Council \/ Youwho Brand Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) addresses the fourth annual Cannabis Sustainability Symposium [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2454220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 17:06:58","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2454220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2454220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2454220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2454220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2454220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2454220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}