California released long-awaited rules Thursday that will govern the state’s emerging legal marijuana industry, while potentially opening the way for larger-scale cultivation that some fear could strangle small-farm growers.
The thicket of emergency regulations will allow the state to begin issuing temporary licenses for growers, distributors and sellers on Jan. 1, when recreational sales become legal.
They provide a regulatory road map for business operations, from licensing fees to establishing guidelines for testing, growing and distribution of marijuana in what is projected to be a $7-billion economy, the nation’s largest.
As for infused munchies, “edible products cannot be shaped like a human, animal, insect, or fruit,” according to a summary of the rules.
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