Does your weed pass the mood test, California?
Why licensed dispensaries are the best choice for high-quality cannabis.
Even in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry, there are still a few things you can always count on. Puff Puff Pass is still the norm, it's never cool to burn your pipe, and California weed is in a class of its own.
Even before the legalization of cannabis nationwide, California has set the tone for cannabis culture across the country, immortalizing the plant in music and art. A significant percentage of the strains we love originally grew on California soil and were nurtured by California hands. That legacy has survived the ups and downs of the industry and emerged even stronger than before, and that legacy is worth protecting.
To preserve this legacy and ensure the continued quality of California cannabis, the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) launched the Real CA Cannabis initiative to help consumers find licensed dispensaries.
DCC-licensed dispensaries sell products that are regulated for reliability, environmental friendliness, and product quality. You can rest assured that any flower, edibles, or concentrates you purchase from a licensed dispensary are considered genuine California cannabis—they are locally produced by California growers and tracked from seed to sale, so you always know what you're getting and where it came from.
Before we begin…
Look, we get it. We know the last thing you want between you and your weed is a pile of red tape. Regulation can have a negative connotation, conjuring up images of bureaucrats in suits cheerlessly stifling innovation. While that's certainly not DCC's thing, we can't blame people for being hesitant.
But the fact is that the cannabis industry is a different caliber today than it used to be. The new legal landscape has brought with it a new set of challenges that require a steady hand to ensure California weed remains well regulated for generations of stoners to come. The folks at DCC are dedicated to exactly those goals and deserve a little trust.
Get to know DCC
As the governing body responsible for regulating all legal cannabis purchases in the state, the DCC collects important data, issues recalls for harmful products, and constantly works to keep cannabis standards up to date. With the federal cannabis situation still a fiasco, the DCC has the final say on legal cannabis in California. When the federal situation inevitably changes, we'll be lucky if the government adopts a model similar to California's DCC.
Related
President Biden announces the addition of marijuana to Schedule III
That's why licensed dispensaries are the clear choice – and why DCC launched Real CA Cannabis to make it easier than ever for Californians to find them.
And we should all be glad they're taking on the task. Numerous non-weed substances have been found in illegal cannabis products, such as harmful contaminants, acetates, and a long list of other harmful substances. Consuming cannabis that is unregulated exposes you to all sorts of risks that can have very real health implications for both you and your friends and family.
There's no way to tell just by looking at cannabis that it's free of harmful contaminants and other dangerous byproducts of the growing and packaging process. Consumers need to be able to rely on regulators like DCC to ensure that all growers, manufacturers, distributors, and everyone else involved in getting that bud into stores is following rules designed to protect consumers. That's why licensed dispensaries are the clear choice—and why DCC launched Real CA Cannabis to make it easier than ever for Californians to find them.
Judging books by their covers
It's no secret that weed has gotten a lot stronger in recent years. Due to the increased demand following legalization, breeders are in an arms race to develop the strongest strains. This means that the potency of weed available in dispensaries can vary greatly, ranging from “mild high” to “immediately in bed.”
Related
What are the strongest cannabis strains?
Because of these huge differences in potency, it's important that cannabis is accurately labeled. That's where Real CA Cannabis' search tool comes in, allowing you to confidently find weed that you know is the exact strain and strength you're looking for. This goes for flower, edibles, concentrates, and all the other goodies behind the counter of a dispensary. All of these products will be accurately labeled not only with the THC content, but also with important information about where and how the cannabis was grown.
This means that the effectiveness of the weed available in pharmacies can vary greatly, ranging from a “mild high” to “immediately going to bed”.
Only legal dispensaries regulated by DCC are guaranteed to sell genuine California cannabis that is accurately labeled and of high quality, so if you want to make sure you're supporting California growers, or simply want to avoid getting way too high (or not nearly high enough), legal dispensaries are the way to go.
How to recognize a legal pharmacy
Now that you know all the benefits of well-run legal dispensaries, you may be wondering how to tell a legitimate shop from a fake one. Thanks to the Department of California Cannabis Control's new “Real CA Cannabis” campaign, there are a few easy ways to tell the shops apart that offer only the best from the Golden State.
You may be surprised to know that while cannabis is legal statewide in California, 56% of cities and counties do not allow any kind of cannabis business. The first step to finding out whether or not your favorite dispensary is legal is to check your local ordinances regarding cannabis. Fortunately, DCC has developed the Real CA Cannabis Search to make finding legal businesses easier.
If you have your eye on a new dispensary and want to quickly check its status, DCC is here for you, too. Soon, every legal dispensary in California will receive a new seal that marks the weed sold there as regulated and meets consumer protection standards.
This seal will be prominently displayed in licensed dispensaries so consumers can see at a glance whether the store is compliant. These seals will also include a QR code that leads to the Real CA Cannabis website, where consumers can ensure they are physically located in the correct legal store.
The rollout of these seals will be completed soon, but in the meantime, there is a more informal way to determine whether or not your dispensary is licensed. Many illegal operations use bright, colorful packaging reminiscent of existing candy brands or packaging featuring copyrighted characters. These are telltale signs that the dispensary carrying these goods is not selling genuine California-grown cannabis.
Related
Cannabis scene in California: top strains and new favorites of 2024
There will be days when big-name celebrities and major media companies see the value in providing their images to cannabis brands, but today is mostly not the time, so if you see Taylor Swift, Patrick Mahomes, or Iron Man on a pre-roll, you may want to shop elsewhere.
The California stores listed on Leafly are all licensed, legal and reputable and can be verified using the Real CA Cannabis search tool to ensure you're only getting the good stuff.
Thanks to the Department of California's cannabis control and the Real CA Cannabis search, people across California can be confident their cannabis is high quality and supports healthy businesses and communities. Visit the Real CA Cannabis website to learn more about the Real California Cannabis initiative.
Written and researched by Jake Rosendale
Post a comment: