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WEBVTT THE CALIFORNIADEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH WILLOVERSEE EDIBLES COME JANUARY BUT KCRA 3'S NATALIE BRUNELLEXPLAINS FOR NOW THOSE GREENPRODUCTS FALL INTO A GRAY AREA.NATALIE: MEET SHE LOVE.HER SPECIALTY IS MEDICALMARIJUANA EDIBLES.SHE GOT INTO THE INDUSTRY AFTERAN EYE-OPENING FIRST VISIT TO ADISPENSARY.>> THERE WAS NO WAY ANYBODY WASCREATING ANYTHING WITH ANY TYPEOF CONSISTENCY OR QUALITATIVE.SOMEONE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING.NATALIE: ALTHOUGH IT IS THEFIRST NORTHERN CALIFORNIAEDIBLES COMPANY TO LAB TEST ITSPRODUCTS, OVERSIGHT IS NOTCONSISTENT.>> WE WERE NEVER REQUIRED TO BEIN A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN.I FELT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TODO.NO ONE ASKED US TO LAB TEST, BUTIT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.NATALIE: SOME ARE STILLPRODUCING PRODUCTS IN THEIRHOMES AND GARAGES.>> IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHATYOU PUT IN YOUR BODY.NATALIE: THE DEPARTMENT OFPUBLIC HEALTH WILL OVERSEEEDIBLES WHEN MARIJUANA ISLEGALIZED JANUARY 1.>> WE ARE IN THAT ARRAY AREA.NATALIE: RICHARD MILLER IS THEHEAD OF EDUCATION AT THEDISPENSARY IN SACRAMENTO.HE WARNS PEOPLE TO BE CAREFULWHEN CHOOSING EDIBLES.>> THAT STUFF OUT THERERECREATIONAL OR ON THE STREETS,THAT STUFF HAS NOT BEEN TESTED.NATALIE: THE PRODUCTS HERE ALLHAVE DETAILED LABELS THATINCLUDE THE AMOUNT OF THC AWARNING TO KEEP THESE AWAY FROMCHILDREN AND NUTRITION FACTS.NONE OF THESE ARE REQUIRED BYLAW, BUT WHEN CALIFORNIA CREATESNEW REGULATIONS ALL THISPACKAGING WILL HAVE TO BEREDESIGNED.>> IT'LL BE A GOOD THING, ITKIND OF LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELDFOR EVERYONE.NATALIE AS THE NEW REGULATIONS

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Tucked away in a nondescript strip mall off Northgate Boulevard in Sacramento is Heavenly Sweet, a commercial kitchen and bakery serving up one award-winning specialty since 2008: medical marijuana edibles.Owner and president Sheila, who did not want her last name to be used, got into the edibles industry after an eye-opening first visit to a dispensary."They couldn't tell me what type of medicine was in it, the amount of medicine, where it was made. I felt like someone needed to do something," said Sheila, who has a confectionery background. "I thought, 'Why not me?'" Heavenly Sweet is the first Northern California edibles company to lab test its products. Currently in the edibles industry, regulation and oversight is virtually nonexistent."It's not regulated at all," Sheila said. "We were never required to be in a commercial kitchen, but I felt it was the right thing to do. No one asked us to lab test, but it was the right thing to do. My staff isn't required to be food SafeServ certified, but it was the right thing to do." Some of her competitors, she said, are still producing products in their homes, warehouses and even garages. "I personally don't want to eat something made in someone's garage," Sheila said. "You're putting this in your body. It's important to know what you're consuming." New rules and standards are currently being hashed out by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The agency will oversee edibles when recreational marijuana can be commercially sold in the state on Jan. 1. "We are in a gray area, like we've been for the last 20 years," said Richard Miller, who is director of education and outreach at the Therapeutic Alternative dispensary in Sacramento. "There is no real oversight yet." Miller warns people to be careful when choosing edibles, and recommends people shop at licensed dispensaries that purchase lab-tested products."The stuff that's out there on the street, that's not at all tested (and) is not safe for consumption," Miller said. "People need to be aware and make sure their products are appropriately labeled."Though specifics are up in the air, come January, the CDPH will require the labeling of ingredients, warnings and doses of marijuana. People who produce edibles will need to have appropriate certifications and licenses. "It'll be a good thing," Sheila said. "It kind of levels the playing field for everyone."As the new regulations take shape, Sheila hopes they'll weed out those who don't take food standards seriously.The CDPH was able to break down how officials will regulate edible marijuana products beginning Jan. 1. Q: If someone wants to produce medical marijuana edibles and beverages, what do they need to get from the state?CDPH: Beginning January 1, anyone producing cannabis edibles or other products will need to hold a license issued by the CDPH. There will be requirements for manufacturing practices and testing that must be met.The cannabis used in a product has to come from a cultivator licensed by the Department of Food and Agriculture. To sell directly to the public, an individual needs to have a retailer license from the Bureau of Cannabis Control. Q: Can the items be produced at a home? Does it fall under the Home Cooking Act? CDPH: Cannabis products are not considered a "food" and so are not regulated in the same manner as traditional food products. Cannabis products are solely under the authority of the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). Specific rules for manufacturing, e.g. acceptable production facilities, will be addressed in the regulations that are currently under development.Q: Who oversees these producers?CDPH: Beginning in January, CDPH will oversee the manufacturers of cannabis edibles. Q: What are the rules as far as the quantities of medical marijuana that can be found in the food/drinks?CDPH: The regulations for both medicinal and adult use cannabis products are still in development. However, MAUCRSA limits the THC content in edible products to no more than 10 mg per serving. Q: Will any of this change when recreational marijuana is legalized?CDPH: MAUCRSA limits the THC content in edible products to no more than 10 mg per serving. Any other rules will be established through CDPH's regulatory process.Emergency regulations are expected to be released in the fall in order to be in place as of January 1.