Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jan 2014
Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Copyright: 2014 The Commercial Appeal
Contact: http://web.commercialappeal.com/newgo/forms/letters.htm
Website: http://www.commercialappeal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/95
Author: Jason Hoppin, Santa Cruz Sentinel

FARMS SET BAR FOR POT QUALITY

Californians Seek Standards in Certification

CAPITOLA, Calif. - Santa Cruz, Calif., has long established its bona
fides when it comes to organic farming. But a nascent effort now on
the horizon could lead to a new title: the birthplace of certified
marijuana.

Clearly echoing the organic movement of the 1970s, a handful of county
leaders and medical marijuana growers and dispensary operators are
formulating a set of standards that set a new bar for best practices
and quality standards for pot. Even county farming officials are
lending their expertise.

"Just like the food industry, you're going to have Safeway
dispensaries and Costco dispensaries. And you're going to have New
Leaf dispensaries," said Colin Disheroon, operator of Santa Cruz
Mountain Naturals, who is expanding his offerings of responsibly grown
medical pot. "And that's kind of our goal, to take it to the New Leaf
step of things."

Seen foremost as a way to meet new county rules on marijuana
cultivation, the certification program could represent a significant
leap forward in early efforts to come up with standards in what
remains a legally gray industry, but one taking cautious yet clear
steps toward legitimacy by seeking government regulations.

The idea was first brought forward, officially at least, by Santa Cruz
County Supervisor John Leopold. With new county rules for dispensary
operators and medical marijuana growers, Leopold proposed third-party
certification as a way for people to show compliance with those rules.

But with legal bans falling and public support up for even recreation
use nationwide - Colorado legalized pot Jan. 1, and Washington state
will soon follow - supporters of the idea say there's no reason a
certification program started here couldn't have national reach.

"I really think we're at a point in the industry where it's like
cannabis 2.0," said Ian Rice, sales director at SC Laboratories, a
Capitola cannabis testing company with 1,200 clients nationwide. "From
people involved to the consumers themselves, the industry's really
matured a lot."

While marijuana isn't recognized by the federal government as an
agricultural crop, some form of organic-like certification is
available from companies like Crescent City, Calif.-based Clean Green
Certification.

The Santa Cruz version likely would feature legal checks, including
zoning and code-compliance verifications, which can be especially
important when it comes to electrical systems, a potential fire threat.

But one significant aspect of the idea could be developing a set of
standards for how marijuana is grown. Some unregulated pot farms can
have devastating environmental impacts, and consumers are often in the
dark when it comes to everything from marijuana potency to what
chemicals were used to grow the crop.

"I think this industry's getting away from the point where it's just
easy money, the money comes pouring in, don't worry about anything,"
said Josh Wurzer, lab director and co-founder of SC Laboratories.
"Dump your water wherever, use diesel generators to power your grow
operation.

"It's getting to the point where you have to . . . be good and
efficient and do things the right way to compete. And that's the way
it should be."

Some dispensaries still buy pot from what are essentially mom-and-pop
operations that sell their product door-to-door. Certification can
cost thousands of dollars, but supporters of the idea note that the
figure is less than the monthly electrical bill for many home growers.

Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and two years ago
federal authorities cracked down on several California operations. A
common theme seemed to be profit motive; the feds seemed to step in
where it looked like medical pot was becoming more about getting rich
than therapy. Certification could help keep them at bay.

"When they're satisfied that good regulations are in place, they seem
to leave people alone, and Santa Cruz has been left alone," said Ben
Rice, a local lawyer who works with dispensaries. "Hopefully, that
will continue to be the case."  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D