New Colorado bill would create guidelines for organic marijuana

The bill, scheduled for its first hearing Friday, would prompt Colorado’s
department of agriculture to make certification rules for pesticide-free cannabis

Sam Levin in San Francisco
Thursday 18 February 2016 21.28 GMT

Colorado marijuana consumers will be able to buy pesticide-free, “certified organic” weed if lawmakers pass a new bill aimed at creating special labels for the state’s legal cannabis industry.

“This is going to be the Whole Foods version of cannabis,” said Jonathan Singer, a Democratic state representative sponsoring legislation to establish state-approved organic pot. “This is just the next natural step in making sure marijuana is treated similar to alcohol. We’ve got organic beer and organic wine.”

The bill, scheduled for its first hearing on Friday, would prompt Colorado’s department of agriculture to create specific guidelines for a “pesticide-free cannabis certification program”.

The legislation could help resolve some of the disputes and confusion surrounding pesticide use that have plagued the industry since voters approved recreational marijuana in 2012.

City officials in Denver last year ordered a hold on some marijuana plants at multiple facilities after discovering that the growers may have improperly used pesticides. Denver health authorities also recently seized thousands of marijuana plants from growers suspected of using “off-limits” chemicals.

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