Certified Organic Pot? Find Out Why Not!

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Event Date
October 10, 2017

Join the CCOF Foundation for a webinar that explains why cannabis cannot be certified organic under the USDA National Organic Program and gives an update on California’s state cannabis regulations.

 

Are you an organic farmer who is wondering if you can add cannabis to your crop rotations now that it is legal to grow in California? Are you a current marijuana grower curious about whether organic certification now applies to cannabis? While marijuana cultivation may now be legal in California and a growing number of other states, the plant is still considered an illegal drug by the federal government. This webinar will address frequently ask questions related to why marijuana cannot be certified organic under the UDSA National Organic Program. Then, hear an update on the California state cannabis regulations and what you can do to support sustainable cannabis cultivation policies.

 

CCOF has received many questions about growing organic cannabis since California voted to legalize recreational marijuana in November 2016. In this webinar, CCOF Director of Farm Certification April Crittenden will answer common questions asked by organic farmers and cannabis growers in relation to cannabis and organic. Find out why cannabis cannot be certified through the USDA National Organic Program, hear about CCOF’s stance on cannabis plants growing on certified organic land, learn whether industrial hemp can be certified organic, and get the answers to other frequently asked questions. Crittenden will also highlight certification options currently available to cannabis growers wishing to communicate the sustainable growing practices they use to their customers. 

 

Then, hear an update on California state cannabis regulations for growers from Amber Morris, branch chief of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Branch. Morris will also review how CalCannabis is addressing sustainable cannabis cultivation. 

 

Finally, learn what you can do to support sustainable cannabis policies from CCOF’s Director of Policy and Government Affairs Kelly Damewood.

 

About Our Speakers

 

April Crittenden brings a wealth of knowledge on the National Organic Program and environmental stewardship in farming systems to her role as CCOF’s director of farm certification. Crittenden has worked at CCOF for over 10 years. She began her career with CCOF as a farm certification specialist, where she gained an understanding of the organic regulations for both growers and livestock producers. As quality and compliance supervisor, Crittenden was responsible for overseeing all complaints, investigations, and CCOF’s pesticide residue and GMO sampling programs. In 2016, Crittenden worked with SC Labs to develop and implement the Envirocann Certification Program, which offers certification services to cannabis producers. Prior to her years devoted to organic certification, Crittenden studied at University of California, Santa Cruz where she completed a double major in environmental studies and anthropology. She holds certificates from trainings hosted by the USDA National Organic Program and the Accredited Certifiers Association, as well as a certificate in permaculture design.

 

Amber Morris is the branch chief of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Branch. Morris oversees implementation of the cultivation licensing program for medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis. She has worked for the California Department of Food and Agriculture for nearly a dozen years in several capacities, most recently as the environmental program manager of the Interior Pest Exclusion Program, where she directed statewide implementation of the Phytophthora Ramorum Program (Sudden Oak Death), Agricultural Detector Dog Team Program, Phytosanitary Export Program, and County High-Risk Pest-Exclusion Program. Prior to her service with the state, Morris worked for the Sonoma County and the Sacramento County agricultural commissioners' offices. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and planning, with an emphasis in conservation and restoration, from Sonoma State University.

 

Kelly Damewood is living her dream job advocating on behalf of organic farmers as the director of policy and government affairs for CCOF. After a brief stint running a small organic farm, Damewood went to law school determined to help farmers navigate the legal issues that impact their ability to grow food in a better way. She received her juris doctor degree from Vermont Law School and her master of laws degree in agricultural and food law from the University of Arkansas School of Law. Damewood is also influenced by her diverse experiences living and working in different regions of the United States, including growing up in Texas, selling products at outdoor markets throughout the Pacific Northwest, and writing for an online newspaper with worldwide distribution. Now, she is happily settled in Santa Cruz, California, where the ocean is a short walk away from her home and office. Most of all, as a member of the millennial generation, Damewood is committed to carrying organic advocacy well into the future because she believes organic truly is the movement to transform our food system.