Appellations of Origin
California regulators are drafting the rules for the world’s first cannabis appellations program.
Appellations are legal standards-based geographic designations awarded to products of place that are exceptional and unique because of their origin of production. Famous appellation regions and products include Champagne, Bordeaux,Tequila, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Appellations legally protect and promote the collective genetic resources and intellectual property of historic producing regions.
In order to be granted an appellation, groups of farmers unite to author petitions that describe their region’s distinct geographic features, history, farming practices, product quality standards and cultivars, and make their case as to why these factors collectively produce an exceptional and unique regional product deserving of an appellation. These petitions will be reviewed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture which will award the legal designations to petitioning groups that have made a compelling and defensible case for their claims of regional distinction.
legacy farming & herbal medicine craft
Origins Council defines legacy cannabis producing regions as those rural areas of California that have established prolific small scale cannabis cultivation and herbal medicine craft over the past 2 decades, or longer.
The legal protections afforded California citizens under Proposition 215 the Compassionate Use Act, enacted by vote of the people in 1996, and Senate Bill 420 passed in 2003, supported significant growth and advancement in the crafts of cannabis cultivation, herbal medicine formulation and practice throughout rural California.
Many regions in California have a history of cannabis production that long predates the Prop 215 era.
These producing regions are genetic & cultural heritage repositories that warrant study, protection and acknowledgement for their contributions to the global cannabis movement. Pursuant to the legalization of cannabis in California these communities have become a living brain trust regarding the development and implementation of rural land use policies for regulated cannabis production.