PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Nicholas Hughes used to sell a cannabis treat fit for a king: The Elvis, a chocolate cookie infused with 1,000 milligrams of mind-altering THC – 100 times what is now the per-serving dosage limit in California.
“You could not keep them on the shelf,” he said.
But earlier this month, Hughes' dispensary, Cathedral City Care Collective North, parted ways with the cookie, one of tons of cannabis products that can't be sold since California phased in new testing, packaging and dosing standards on July 1. For edibles like the Elvis, the state now imposes a limit of 10 milligrams of THC per serving and 100 milligrams of THC per package.
Marijuana companies in California had a six-month grace period to sell weed harvested or processed before 2018. With the cut-off date looming on July 1, retailers hustled to sell old cannabis at fire sale prices, then swept the leftovers off their shelves and dumped them in the trash.
Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
