Champagne. Bordeaux. Napa. When you sip a wine from one of these regions, you generally know what to expect. With California cannabis, it could soon be the same way. The California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) is in the process of defining cannabis “appellations,” which would allow farmers to label and market their crop with specific geographic areas. Farmers would codify what makes their crop unique, allowing for a higher value, and consumers would have a standard of quality and experience.
Already, certain counties in Northern California like Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino are known for their unique craft cannabis, so “appellation of origin” designations could help continue to elevate the brand and provide a more sophisticated buying experience for the consumer. As small farmers know all too well, commercial cannabis is exploding across the Golden State, threatening craft growers and driving prices down.
Heather Burke, a Partner with Greenspoon Marder, will be leading a panel of Cannabis Appellation Experts tomorrow at the State of Cannabis, a premier cannabis conference that brings together politicians, industry experts, and thought leaders from around the state in a unique setting on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. We hope to see you there!
The Cannabis Appellation panel will include the following experts:
Heather Burke
Greenspoon Marder, Partner
International Cannabis Farmers Association, Member
Joanna Cedar
CannaCraft, Public Affairs Manager
California Growers Association, Appellations Working Group
Justin Calvino
Rejuvenation Center Foundation
Mendocino Appellations Project, Board of Directors
Swami Chaitanya
Swami Select
Mendocino Appellations Project, Board of Directors