CCC Culture
Mar 7, 2025
One of the most restrictive cannabis measures in Colorado since legalization
Senate Bill 25-076, introduced in Colorado on January 22, 2025, proposes comprehensive regulations affecting the cannabis and natural medicine industries. The bill emphasizes public health, product labeling, consumption limits, age restrictions, and social equity as necessary reasons to implement. The bill is sponsored by Senator Judith Amabile (Democrat) and Senator Byron Pelton (Republican), with Representative Kyle Brown (Democrat) as the House sponsor.
Below is a detailed summary of each major theme in the bill and the associated rules it suggests:
1. Public Health Prioritization
The bill mandates that the Marijuana Enforcement Division, the Natural Medicine Division, and the Department of Public Health and Environment prioritize public health over private interests in their regulatory activities. These agencies must also implement measures to prevent undue influence from licensees or registrants.
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
Increased regulation leads to increased operating costs, reduced product availability, and more limited consumer access over time. These elements could have the unintended consequence of leading consumers to the black market, which is completely unregulated and reduces public safety.
2. Labeling Requirements for Marijuana Products
The bill introduces specific labeling requirements for marijuana products:
THC Content Display: Labels must indicate the total THC per package.
Color-Coded Potency Strips: Packaging must feature a solid color strip indicating THC potency:
Blue: THC potency less than 5%
Yellow: THC potency between 5% and 15%
Orange: THC potency between 15% and 50%
Red: THC potency 50% or higher
Retail Signage: Marijuana stores are required to display signs explaining the meaning of these color strips at every point of sale.
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
Once again, the increased overhead costs of excessive labels and signage will lead to increased operating costs in an industry where margins are already paper thin. Regular cannabis consumers may need to prepare for necessary price increases.
3. Labeling Requirements for Inhaled Marijuana
Inhaled marijuana products must include labels specifying:
Amount of THC per serving
Total THC per package
Number of servings per package
Directions for consumption of a serving
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
For more experienced cannabis users who prefer to self-regulate their consumption, this detail seems asinine, but in fairness, some subtle guidance could be useful for novice users. The biggest issue with that detail - there is no simple, formulaic way to measure what an appropriate serving size is for individuals that all have unique endocannabinoid systems. This could lead to faulty instruction and inadvertently harming novice users, especially considering unique entourage effects from differing strains, regardless of THC content.
4. Collaboration with the Department of Public Health and Environment
The Marijuana Enforcement Division is required to seek assistance from the Department of Public Health and Environment when adopting certain rules, ensuring that public health expertise informs regulatory decisions.
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
The collaboration with a public health-focused entity will likely slow down the development of new products or cannabis-related services. Additionally, the complexity of meeting both health and business regulations could make the cannabis market less accessible, particularly for small or new producers. It's hard to imagine innovation not being stifled in a meaningful way.
5. Serving Size and Packaging Limits for Inhaled Cannabis
The bill imposes limits on inhaled marijuana products:
Serving Size: Limited to 10 milligrams of THC per serving.
Package Weight: Limited to 500 milligrams of THC per package.
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
Out of all the proposed regulations in the bill, this may have the most adverse effect on cannabis sales as we know them. Let's do the the math on how this would look for a hypothetical purchase.
EXAMPLE: A gram of flower contains 25 percent THC, so one gram of that flower would equate to 0.25 grams (250 milligrams) of THC. That means a cannabis consumer would be limited to buying 2 grams total of that flower, because 250mg x 2 = 500mg.
This methodology would destroy bulk sales and heavily disrupt cultivation strategy and distribution, while vastly increasing costs for all cannabis users.
6. Age Restrictions on High-Potency and Flavored Products
For individuals aged 25 or younger, the bill prohibits the sale, distribution, or offering of:
- Retail marijuana with THC potency higher than 10%.
- Inhaled retail marijuana containing added flavor ingredients.
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
According to a 2021 study by the Colorado State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup, 18-25 year olds account for about 30 percent of all cannabis consumption in Colorado, which is the highest percentage of any age group. To say these new regulations would vastly hurt legal cannabis businesses would be an understatement. Less sales and availability will lead to more divergance to the black market for consumers and cultivators. Also, there needs to be more clarity around "added flavor ingredients" and what exactly that means for cultivators. For example, does that include certain growing nutrients or curing techniques?
7. Labeling and Data Collection for Natural Medicine
Natural medicine (psilocybin, cannabis, etc.) must be labeled with a universal symbol indicating it contains such substances. Also, this bill wants to establish standards for collecting and reporting data on adverse medical or behavioral reactions to natural medicine products.
Furthermore, this section of the bill aims to prohibit forms of natural medicine products including:
Candies, gummies, chocolates, or any confection.
Highly concentrated extracts.
Any non-oral administration method.
Flavored or sweetened products.
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
This proposal would essentially eliminate nearly all of the edibles presently on the market aside from some tincture and capsule-based options. Concentrates would be a thing of the past, and the vape market would undergo a major overhaul that would be costly to every producer in the short to medium term. Lastly, this rule seemingly eliminates topicals (non-oral administration methods), which are often used in a healing context, so the connection to protecting consumer health seems misguided at best here.
8. Manufacturing and Distribution Prohibitions for Natural Medicine
The bill establishes certain prohibitions on how natural medicine can be manufactured, distributed, or transferred, aiming to ensure safety and compliance within the industry.
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
Smaller, independent cannabis producers may struggle to meet the new compliance requirements, leading to a consolidation of the industry. Certain niche or artisanal cannabis products could become less available if the prohibitions disproportionately affect smaller producers or less conventional manufacturing processes. Consumers who value diversity in their cannabis options may find fewer choices that align with their preferences.
9. Expansion of the Social Equity Program
The bill proposes expanding the social equity program to include a broader range of participants, potentially extending opportunities beyond the cannabis industry.
What this potentially means for regular cannabis consumers:
On the surface, there's nothing wrong with increasing social equity opportunities, but the thought of the cannabis industry having to foot the bill for numerous other industries may be problematic. Also, the state of Colorado should consider additional social equity opportunities outside of cannabis regardless.
What do we do now?
Now that it's established how terrible this bill appears to be for the Colorado cannabis community, it's time to make your voices heard. The following actions can go a long way in preventing a cannabis industry catastrophe:
Email local representatives. Here's a list of all Colorado state legislators with their email addresses. Let them know how harmful this legislation would be to the local economy and cannabis consumer wellness, despite the bill's intentions.
There's a public hearing for senate bill 25-076 on March 11 at 2pm in the Old Supreme Court Chamber within the state capitol building. Make your voice and perspective heard in person. Let your friends know, as there's power in numbers.
Earlier in this article, I included social media links for the sponsors of this bill. Apply public pressure by leaving comments on their posts and tagging them in posts of your own.
The future of legal cannabis in Colorado is at stake, and that's not an overstatement. Join the effort and take actions to protect the cannabis consumption rights that took so long to establish in the first place.
UPDATE: The bill was killed on the committee floor indefinitely. Major win for the Colorado cannabis industry.