Food Safety

Allies or Adversaries?  Glimpses into Regulatory and Industry Dynamics (CannaWest Summit - June 2018)

Cannabis operations are rapidly expanding across the country, and regulators are struggling to stay ahead with appropriate regulations and inspections to ensure the safety of cannabis infused products. What are the dynamics in this fragile relationship between industry and regulators and does it have to be this way?  In this session, regulators will share expectations for cannabis operators, and what they look for when they inspect a facility in a variety of areas, including food safety plans, testing, labeling, training.  Industry panelists will share what they are doing to comply, and control hazards throughout the production stages.  Through this conversation, attendees will see what effective partnerships can look like, and how beneficial it is for all to break down the walls and work together.

Speakers Include:

Elizabeth Landeen
Associate Director, Program and Partnership Development, NEHA

Cindy Rice, RS, CP-FS, MSPH in Epidemiology
Food Safety Specialist, President of Eastern Food Safety

Christina Dempsey
Education, Training & Outreach Manager, Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch,
California Dept. of Public Health  

Heather Forshey, MS, REHS
Director, Environmental Health Services, County of San Mateo  

Kimberly Dillon
Vice President, Marketing, Papa Barkley

Kara Lavaux, CP-FS
Food Safety and Marijuana Supervisor, Public Health Inspections Division,
Department of Public Health and Environment, City and County of Denver

Peggy Moore
CEO/Partner, Love’s Oven, LLC

Conducting a Health Impact Assessment on Marijuana Legislation in Vermont (July 2018)

On October 6, 2015, Governor Peter Shumlin signed a Health in All Policies (HiAP) Executive Order (No. 07-15) establishing a Health in All Policies Task Force. The executive order, while not directed at marijuana specifically, asks the task force to report on “potential opportunities to include health criteria in regulatory, programmatic and budgetary decisions” and to identify evidence-based actions and policies. In pursuit of an HiAP approach, the Vermont Department of Health has conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) around potential health impacts of marijuana regulation. HIAs are a strong tool in investigating the effects of policy and planning decisions on health outcomes, and making recommendations to optimize potential positive health impacts and mitigate potential negative health impacts.  This presentation will review the process and outcome of the health impact assessment.

Speakers Include:

Shayla Livingston, MPH  
Vermont Department of Health
Public Health Policy Advisor

John S. Searles, Ph.D.
Vermont Department of Health
Substance Abuse Research and Policy Analyst

*Access to the HIA process as referenced in the webinar can be found here.

Lessons from Food Safety: Applications to the Cannabis Industry (May 2018)

A hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) plan has historically been applied by the food manufacturing industry and later foodservice to control food safety. Both a food facility and a restaurant strive to sell food that is safe for consumption, that will not cause injury or illness. As the cannabis industry grows in the manufacture of cannabis-infused products, namely edibles, lessons can be learned from the progress and success of programs like Good Manufacturing Practices, HACCP, Juice HACCP and the Food Safety Modernization Act. One side of the coin is compliance with regulations; the other side of the coin is taking all necessary steps to ensure a safe product for the consumer.  We will also discuss the disparities in state-to-state cannabis safety and quality regulations, and implications for infused-product manufacturers.

This webinar was held in collaboration with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and the CannabisIndustryJournal.com (CIJ). 

Speakers Include:

Kathy Knutson, Ph.D.

Sanford Wolgel, PhD, CFS
Principal, KCNM Consulting
Former Chief Science Officer, Cannabistry Labs

Development of Standards for Cannabis-Infused Products (Janaury 2018)

ASTM is currently the organization taking the lead to develop standards as it relates to cannabis and cannabis-infused products.  Hear from ASTM Committee D37 on Cannabis as to what ASTM is doing to develop cannabis standards, what areas they are developing cannabis standards in, timeline expected, and how you can get involved.  You will also hear from NEHA on useful cannabis-infused product tools and resources currently in development for state and local regulatory programs.

This webinar was held in collaboration with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), and ASTM.

Speakers include:

Robert J. Morgan
Director of Technical Committee Operations
ASTM International

Learn more about ASTM, the standards development process and Committee D37 on Cannabis. 

Elizabeth Landeen
Associate Director of Program and Partnership Development
National Environmental Health Association

Learn what NEHA’s doing in the cannabis-infused product arena and it’s various initiatives, such as development of a policy statement, a guidance document, a concepts and terminology handbook, webinars, and sessions that will be presented at NEHA’s 2018 annual education conference.

State-Level Variation in the Regulation of Edible Cannabis Products (November 2017)

Even though the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and sale of cannabis products remain illegal under federal law, 29 states have legalized medicinal cannabis and eight of those 29 states have additionally legalized recreational cannabis. In the absence of federal guidance, each of these states has had to create a regulatory framework that limits and enforces how cannabis products can be cultivated and distributed. One area of emerging cannabis policy is the regulation of cannabis-infused edible products, which require a different set of restrictions and requirements than cannabis-infused products that are inhaled or applied topically.  A second emergent area is how dispensary staff communicate the health and safety risks about edible cannabis products to consumers in retail settings.

This webinar was held in collaboration with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), and RTI International.

Speakers Include             

Camille Gourdet, JD, MA,
RTI International, Center for Health Policy Science and Tobacco Research,
Research Public Health Analyst

Learn about how states regulate the ways in which edible cannabis products used for medicinal or recreational purposes are cultivated, labeled, packaged, distributed and sold, with respect to THC limits and homogeneity requirements, labeling and packaging requirements, and pesticide testing.   

Nicholas C. Peiper, PhD, MPH
RTI International, Behavioral and Urban Health Program
Behavioral Epidemiologist

Learn about findings from a recent online survey of cannabis dispensary staff, including data pertaining to risk disclosure and labeling practices for edible products.

Click here to access the webinar Questions and Answers (PDF)

Wonderful World of Edibles...Are They Safe? (June 2017) 

Marijuana usage is growing in acceptability across the country, with changing regulations in many states, legalizing its use both recreationally and for medicinal purposes.   While these are exciting times for many, they raise questions about the safety of these products, and how should it be regulated and inspected.  Join NEHA for this informative webinar to explore the world of “Edibles.”   Edibles are produced for both medicinal and recreational use, and consumed in communities many local and state food safety agencies serve and protect. 

Speakers include:

Marc A. Nascarella, PhD
Chief Toxicologist, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
The variety of marijuana-containing products that are available for retail sale include dried plant material, resins, oils, and marijuana infused products.  In addition to product formulations that are intended to be heated and inhaled (i.e.., through smoking or vaporization), products are packaged in oral capsules, food products, rectal suppositories, dermal lotions, and under-the-tongue (sublingual) preparations.  Dr. Nascarella’s presentation will describe environmental public health considerations when evaluating these marijuana products for levels of cannabinoids as well as environmental contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, and microbial growth.

Marlene Gaither, REHS. MPA, MSEV
Environmental Health Program Manager, Coconino County Public Health Services District
Learn about a recent marijuana edibles recall, and challenges that the regulatory system experienced during this highly-charged food recall. 

Cindy Rice, RS, CP-FS, MSPH in Epidemiology
Food Safety Specialist, President of Eastern Food Safety
Learn about preventive controls and best practices that edible producers can put in place to minimize food safety risks and keep consumers safe, and also aid regulators tasked with enforcing regulations and food safety.

Click here to access the webinar Questions and Answers (PDF)