Washington: organic cannabis market opens

This is a first for the’history of the cannabis industry ! Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington State, signed a bill this Tuesday, May 16, 2017, that aims to introduce an organic cannabis label.

Ann Rivers, the Washington state senator responsible for promoting this legislation, estimates that the sale of organic cannabis will be in place within a year or so. «It's all about consumer demand,» she says. «The more the legal cannabis market expands, the more we hear from consumers saying «no, we don't want any more fungicides, organic pesticides or nothing like it in our grass», she confided last night by telephone to the Reuters. The organic label will then be certified by the French Ministry of Agriculture.

Senator Ann Rivers also asserted that «most of the work» in certifying organic cannabis has been done through organic food products, which already have a strong presence in most U.S. supermarkets. «The process just needs to be adjusted for cannabis. Indeed, the legalization of recreational cannabis has been a source of great benefit, as it will bring in $768 million in revenue for Washington State this year,» she added.

This law highlights a voluntary program to ensure effective regulation and certification of organic cannabis products.

Washington State was the second state to legalize recreational cannabis in 2014. Voters had approved it two years earlier. Although smoking cannabis is legal for adults aged 21 and over, self-cultivation remains prohibited throughout the state, except for medical cannabis users.

The new law for organic cannabis will also make it possible to’increase hemp production for industry.

Mehdi Bautier