Modern cannabis use reawakened in the 1950’s and exploded in the late 1960’s, but cannabis has been smoked, drunk, eaten and rubbed on the body, since humans first discovered the plant.
In 1954, Alice B. Toklas published the famous recipe for Hashish Fudge, given to her by Brian Gysin, who was one of William Burroughs’ lovers.
It was a Moroccan recipe made from spices, nuts, fruits and cannabis. She cautioned that 2 pieces were quite enough and to be prepared to laugh hysterically. This was the beginning of modern cannabis edibles.
San Francisco is the only place with regulations for edibles. I believe the regulations that we have put into place are logical and are based on a sound public health sanitation model.
The regulations start with the kitchen, where the edible is made. The chef can use a home kitchen, as long as it has a sink for hand washing, liquid soap and paper towels.
The kitchen must be certified only, if the edibles are distributed to more than one MCD, and in that case the chef must become a State certified food handler.
You must clean and sanitize all utensils, equipment, and surfaces that food may come in contact with, before and after preparation. Storage areas should be kept clean and vermin-free.
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” so says the ancient Hebrew proverb and the San Francisco Health Department.
During preparation, you should not be preparing any other food, and children and pets should not be in the area.
The preparer should thoroughly wash their hands before starting and before handling the finished product. Gloves must be worn when packaging cannabis products.
San Francisco requires edibles to be in opaque packaging, so children cannot see what is inside.
Labeling must include a warning, if nuts or other known allergens are used, and must include the total weight of cannabis in the package.
Cannabis edibles must be individually labeled at the point of preparation and must specify the date of manufacture.
The label must have a warning, that the product contains cannabis. That, it is a medication and not a food and should be kept away from children.
Baked medicinal products (i.e. brownies, bars, cookies, cakes), tinctures and other non-refrigerated items are acceptable for manufacture and sale at MCD’s.
Dispensaries can only sell edibles, that a member has prepared. No non-member edible cannabis products are allowed for sale or distribution at an MCD.
No edible cannabis products requiring refrigeration or hot-holding (such as ice cream or hot chocolate) shall be manufactured for sale or distribution at an MCD,
due to the potential of food-borne illness.
What regulations are still needed? Should they be made by the industry or by the government?
Better instructions on the package. I had a drink package that I was supposed to add water to, but it didn’t tell me how much water to use.
How many doses are there in the package? A common question… and what is one dose?
Nutritional Facts…Product Testing for potency including the exact amount of THC in the edible
and where to ask the question….Who made this shit anyway?
What about the future?
San Joaquin County wants the handling and preparation of edible cannabis products to comply with current California Health and Safety Code requirements.
Colorado wants to do vertical integration as a closed loop commercial scheme. They want licenses for the medical marijuana centers and the medical marijuana infused product licensee. They want to institute a tracking system from seed to product.
What will edibles look like in a year?
Better packaging, no cannabis taste,
Identifying the potency
Better knowledge of the ingredients.
Better Customer service, quality control,
Potency, packaging, consistency and innovation!
Every state, county and city will sooner or later institute their own regulations on marijuana and edibles.
San Francisco’s regulations on edibles will prove to be a rational approach and a model for future regulation.
Edibles List Blog 