Potential to supply marijuana genetic materials from exterior Colorado
Senate Bill 23-271, which went into impact in early 2024, goals to reinforce Colorado’s marijuana trade. A key provision permits licensed marijuana cultivators to supply “genetic materials” from authorised entities in different jurisdictions. Genetic material is defined as materials used to propagate hashish vegetation, together with:
- Immature vegetation and small plant fragments with ≤0.3% D9 THC on a dry weight foundation;
- Hashish seeds, which develop into marijuana; and
- Tissue cultures.
This legislation considerably expands sourcing choices for Colorado cultivators, together with alternatives, each home and worldwide. Colorado cultivators can now usher in well-liked OG strains from all over the world.
The anticipated advertising and marketing frenzy, nevertheless, hasn’t absolutely materialized. The reply lies within the complexity of transporting genetics throughout state and worldwide strains.
That’s the place we are available. With years of expertise advising purchasers on compliant cross-border transportation, we perceive the nuances within the legislation. Under is a high-level overview of the challenges concerned. For those who or your purchasers are able to make an affect in Colorado’s market, please reach out to me or my team— we’d be comfortable to help.
Marijuana genetics: are they hemp or marijuana?
This query – the Schrödinger’s Cat of the hashish trade – is each easy and sophisticated. In brief, beneath federal legislation, marijuana genetics seem like hemp. Nonetheless, they’re neither strictly hemp nor marijuana till a state makes that willpower. The truth is, in some states they might be each marijuana and hemp.
- “Marihuana” (referred to on this weblog publish as “marijuana”) is defined in the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”), as “all elements of the plant Hashish sativa L., whether or not rising or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any a part of such plant; and each compound, manufacture, salt, spinoff, combination, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin.”
- Marijuana doesn’t embrace “hemp” as outlined within the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the “2018 Farm Invoice”).
- Hemp is outlined because the plant Hashish sativa L. and any a part of that plant, together with the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether or not rising or not, with a delta-9 THC focus of no more than 0.3 % on a dry weight foundation.
In January 2022, the DEA issued a letter stating that hashish seeds and different genetic materials with ≤0.3% D9 THC meet the definition of hemp and aren’t managed substances. Importantly, the DEA additional clarified in a December 2022 letter that if the hashish seed germinates into materials exceeding 0.3% THC, then “that materials” falls inside CSA management. DEA’s use of “that materials” fairly than specifying the seed used to develop “that materials” additional helps that DEA, not less than for now, doesn’t view marijuana genetics (testing at ≤0.3% THC on a dry weight foundation) as marijuana.
Whereas these DEA letters aren’t legally binding, they counsel that marijuana genetics, when testing at ≤0.3% D9 THC, are thought-about hemp beneath federal legislation.
State complexities with marijuana and hemp genetics
Since marijuana genetics are presently handled as hemp beneath federal legislation, they will transfer throughout U.S. state and worldwide strains. Nonetheless, the 2018 Farm Invoice permits states to impose stricter legal guidelines.
Some states, like neighboring Arizona, outline marijuana genetics as materials that can solely develop into hemp. Others, like Arkansas, don’t expressly exempt “hemp” kind the definition of “marijuana,” making a scenario the place the genetics are each hemp and marijuana. And States like Mississippi and Minnesota prohibit the sale of hashish sativa seeds all collectively.
Understanding each federal and state legal guidelines is important to making sure a compliant switch into Colorado. If the exporting state defines the genetics as hemp and permits exports, cultivators can probably import them into Colorado. If the exporting state doesn’t outline marijuana genetics as hemp, then promoting or transporting marijuana genetics may result in legal violations beneath a state’s marijuana legal guidelines.
Worldwide issues
A world import of marijuana genetics should adjust to each state, federal, and worldwide legal guidelines. So long as the export meets USDA and Customs requirements, federal legislation sometimes received’t pose a problem. Nonetheless, it’s important to think about the legal guidelines of the exporting nation, and importing US state, guaranteeing that the genetics are categorised as hemp by each governments. In any other case, the transport could not solely violate a US state’s legal guidelines, but additionally international law.
Conclusion
Licensed Colorado cultivators searching for distinctive marijuana strains from exterior the state—whether or not from California, Oregon, or nations like Colombia and Jamaica—should navigate each federal and state legal guidelines. Harris Sliwoski has in depth expertise serving to operators switch hashish genetics. With our new Denver office, we’re prepared to help Colorado cultivators with international genetics imports. A “Tour de Hashish” anybody?
