Ep. 495: Richard Parrott, CDFA

December 12, 2019

Richard Parrott, Division Director for CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing of the CDFA, is currently working to transition those with provisional licenses over to annual licenses. As well, Parrott and his team are looking to set up parameters to establish a certified organic cannabis program. In order to draft correct regulations, it is essential to hear from the public, which requires engagement, participation, and discussion from all points of view. Parrott notes the most important lessons he’s learned from being in the industry: “Our goal is to get everyone educated so that they can be in this regulated space and be successful. So, lessons learned are just really communicating, trying to anticipate issues that might be coming up, and get out in front of it. Start communicating and talking early.”

Transcript:

Seth Adler: Richard Parrott joins us. Welcome to Cannabis Economy, I'm your host Seth Adler. Download episodes on canneconomy.com, that's two N's in the word economy or wherever you currently get your podcasts. First a word from our supporter and then Richard Parrott.
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Seth Adler: Okay, so we've got Richard Parrott, the division director for CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing of the CDFA. Richard, thank you so much for giving us some time.
Richard Parrott: Yeah, thanks for having me on today.
Seth Adler: I think before we begin, for those that are out of state, let's just do the thing that we do every time. There are three and so just take us through the three and, which one you are.
Richard Parrott: Okay. For the three licensing agencies?
Seth Adler: Indeed.
Richard Parrott: Yes, so I am the director of the CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing division with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. We are one of three licensing agencies in California. We license the cannabis farmers for throughout the state we have a licensing and compliance and enforcement program. We have two sister agencies, one is the Bureau of Cannabis Control, they license and regulate distributors, retailers, micro-businesses and testing labs. And then Department of Public Health has a mandate of manufactured cannabis safety branch and they regulate and license the cannabis manufacturers, so people that are making edibles, topicals, tincture and those types of things. So we are in this space of cultivation, basically the farmer in California.
Seth Adler: Alright. And so as we're dealing with the farmers, as we make our way here into 2020, what's on your desk right now? What are the things that you and the team are dealing with?

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