Originally Published by Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED)
Jan 20, 2024
Applies to all marijuana to be inhaled
On December 6th, 2023, the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division issued a statement regarding new requirements for a "use by" date to be posted on all inhalable cannabis products. The usage of this posted date would be similar to what's displayed on parishable food items.
As of January 1st, 2024, these new laws went into effect. For context, here's the original introductory portion of the message from the MED:
Dear Interested Parties:
The Marijuana Enforcement Division (Division) is issuing this Industry Bulletin to remind licensees of
required use-by date information that must be included on regulated marijuana labels before transfer to a patient or consumer starting January 1, 2024.
...Effective January 1, 2024, the Colorado Marijuana Rules require that all Regulated Marijuana with an intended use of “Inhaled Product” be labeled with a use-by date.
By default, the amount of grace time offered from harvest is 9 months, and specifically represents the "optimally fresh" date, not necessarily meaning the product can no longer be consumed. The intent of this new law is to help prevent contamination from mold and fungus, which has seen a recent uptick.
Opposers to the new policy claim it's burdensome overkill and could potentially cause confusion with traditional expiration dates. Peter Marcus, a vice president at Terrapin Care Station says "The entire use-by conversation has been silly from the start...Consumers never asked for this policy because there's never been a need. Cannabis consumers are savvy. They don't want to consume [marijuana] flower that has been sitting around forever."
For the record, edibles and infused liquids have already been subjected to this labeling rule.
