California officials on Friday announced emergency regulations to tighten control over hemp-derived products, citing increasing health incidents and risks to youth.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the new rules will ban THC-containing hemp products and create stronger protections for children against unregulated THC. The news comes a month after lawmakers in the statehouse failed to agree on a bill to regulate intoxicating hemp goods.

“We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products,” Newsom said in a statement.

Key changes include:

• Setting a minimum age of 21 to purchase certain hemp products.
• Requiring no detectable THC in hemp-derived food and beverages.
• Limiting hemp products to five servings per package.
• Expanding the list of regulated intoxicating cannabinoids.

Notably, the list of regulated cannabinoids does not include cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound found in hemp. However, the CDPH’s findings suggest that even compounds not considered dangerous for adults could potentially harm youth. The department notes that despite CBD being widely studied, its health effects on young people remain “uncertain.”

State officials argue that because the list of intoxicating cannabinoids is not exhaustive and research on youth effects is ongoing, the age requirement serves as a protective measure against potential “permanent and irreparable adverse health impacts” on young people.

“Intoxicating industrial hemp products can cause illness and injury to California consumers,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, CDPH Director, said. “We are working to ensure products in the marketplace comply with state laws that protect consumers against these public health risks.”

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) proposed the regulations in response to documented cases of injuries and illnesses caused by industrial hemp products containing intoxicating cannabinoids.

The emergency rules will take effect immediately upon approval by the Office of Administrative Law. Sellers must implement purchase restrictions and remove non-compliant products from shelves, the Governor’s Office said.

State agencies, including the Department of Cannabis Control and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, will begin enforcement actions once the regulations are in effect.

Nicole Elliott, Director of the Department of Cannabis Control, called the rules “a critical step in ensuring the products in the marketplace align with the law’s original intent.”

The regulations aim to close loopholes in AB 45, signed by Newsom in 2021, which allowed hemp-derived products but limited total THC content to 0.3%. Officials say some manufacturers have circumvented this limit, leading to products with intoxicating effects.

Industry impact

While specific economic projections weren’t provided, the CDPH determined the regulations would have “a significant economic impact on California business enterprises and individuals.”

Joseph McCullough, Director of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said in the press release from the Governor’s Office that the agency will contact licensees and stakeholder groups to ensure compliance once the regulations take effect.

The hemp industry has expanded rapidly since the 2018 federal Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp. California’s move could influence regulations in other states grappling with similar concerns about hemp-derived products. Battles have been waged in other states including Florida, and most recently, Missouri.

Health officials cite studies showing these products can negatively impact cognitive functions in developing brains, with reports of increased hospitalizations among teenagers and young adults.

The regulations also aim to standardize serving sizes for hemp products, using federal standards for non-hemp food products as a guide.

Enforcement and testing

State regulators, including the CDPH and law enforcement officials, will oversee compliance. The regulations state that manufacturers must provide documentation, including certificates of analysis from independent testing laboratories, to confirm their products meet the new THC limits.

“Our cannabis and tobacco inspectors are out in the field every day so that consumers can know that the items on store shelves are legal in California, properly tested, labeled, and taxed,” Nick Maduros, Director of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, said.

The emergency regulations are deemed necessary for “the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare,” according to the CDPH’s findings.

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Rejoice, my Cali smokers, we’re in a new era for the world’s most prestigious cannabis competition—the Emerald Cup. Now based in Oakland, a new venue means fresh blood; the leaderboard this year was a mix of newcomers, old favorites, and heady collaborations. Decibel Gardens made a splash with their own Roswell 47, a Jealousy cross. Huckleberry Hill Farms had a hand in multiple winners, from concentrates to prerolls to edibles. Rebel Grown’s Double OG Chem continues to dominate the Sungrown category, and Whitehorn Rose might be the strain of the year. That’s just scratching the surface.

From the best buds to edibles to what to put in your Puffco, here are the standout Emerald Cup winners and where you can find them in shops across California, all on Leafly. 

Flower

Hundreds of buds pass through judges’ pipes, papers, and bongs every year. The 2024 Cup had four growing categories, and we’ve picked the creme de la creme from each.

Indoor

Roswell 47 by Decibel Gardens is a cross of our 2023 Strain of the Year Jealousy crossed with their proprietary C-Note. It won the Indoor Flower Breeder’s Cup for its peppered berry terps. You can find it at Santa Cruz Naturals in Aptos, CA, LAXCC in Los Angeles, Jungle Boys San Diego in La Mesa, CA, and Pacabol in Chula Vista. 

Runner-up Nameless Genetics stood out with their Mega Wellness OG, a Chemdog x OG Kush cross with an OG Kush male that dates back to 2002, which created a kush with intense earthy, hoppy, and petrol profile. You can find it at Buzz Wellness in San Diego, Jungle Boys San Diego in La Mesa, CA, and Purple Lotus Patient Center in San Jose. 

Decibel Gardens takes third place with Golden Kiwi, a cross of Stardawg x Vanilla Kush that creates an energizing fruity and chemical canna-concoction. You can find it at Jungle Boys San Diego in La Mesa and Exhalence LA in Sun Valley, CA. 

See also: Seven Alien Labs strains placed in the top 20 indoor flowers this year, and the top was the sticky and sweet Honey Bananas S1 at number four; BK Satellite and Area 41 made the top 10.

Mixed light + Greenhouse

Terp Mansion takes the Mixed Light crown with a tantalizing Thin Mint x Jealousy cross, yet unnamed. You can only find it right now at Bigfoot Cannabis Co in Willow Creek, CA. 

Wave Rider Nursery and Humboldt Seed Co teamed up to bring HSC’s Blueberry Pancakes the Mixed Light Breeder’s Cup win, and second place for Mixed Light flower overall. You can get this sweet treat at Cornerstone Wellness in Los Angeles, Liberty Cannabis in Gardena, Mission Organic on Geary in San Francisco, and Airfield Supply Co in Redwood City.

Chameleon Craft fills out the podium with Bubble Bath. You can find it at Elevation 2477 in Nevada City, March and Ash in San Diego, Purple Star MD in San Francisco, and CoCo Farms in Concord, CA. 

Sungrown

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! The 2022 and 2023 Sungrown Flower winners, Farmer + the Felon and Rebel Grown, teamed up to take gold both and the Sungrown Breeder’s Cup with Rebel’s Double OG Chem. You can get it at Pacabol in Chula Vista and Padre Mu in Oakland. 

Teamwork makes the weed work, as Magic Meadow Farms x Conception Nurseries x Humido win second place with Heir Heads, available at The Boulevard in Lemon Grove, CA and Purple Star MD in San Francisco. 

Ridgeline Farms has been building their reputation on their small stable of strains, and their proprietary Ridgeline Runtz is the leader. Runtz is available all over the country, and no two growers will have the same result. You can shop for another of their creations, LANTZ, which came in ninth, at Lemonnade in Union City,  Cookies in Hayward, and Cookies Brentwood in Los Angeles.

See also: If you prefer a low-THC experience, or want some CBD-rich flower to mix in with your next bowl or joint, Heartrock Mountain Farm’s Love and Laughter, a, 18:1 CBD:THC hybrid, won the Breeder’s Cup for Alternative Cannabinoid Flower. You can get it at both Solful locations, in San Francisco and Sebastopol, and at Cornerstone Wellness in Los Angeles. 

Concentrates

Solventless

Huckleberry Hill Farms and their Whitethorn Rose are dominating the solventless categories, no matter their partner. In this collaboration with Ay Papi, their Whitethorn Rose ice water hash reigned supreme. You can find it at Klover in San Diego and Berkeley Patients Group in Berkeley. Ay Papi also took third place in the hash category with their team-up with Mattole Valley Sun Grown to produce Purple Papaya, available through DNA Delivery in Los Angeles. Have Hash’s Sour Bears took silver.

Have Hash achieved total victory on the live rosin side with their Royal Budline collaboration on Honey Bananas, on shelves (for now) at Cookies Brentwood in Los Angeles and Lytt in Pacifica, CA. 

Moon Valley Cannabis, whose name you’ll see again later, came runner-up with their Panther Candy “dual consistency” rosin; they were also the fourth place hash winner, Neon Panther. An oldie but a goodie, Durban Lime, took third place thanks to Punch Extracts x Luma Farms.

Solvent 

No shame in the BHO game, we promise. Absolute Xtracts came in clutch with a 1-2 victory with Ghost Lemon and Original Z, shoppable at shops like The Chronic in Los Angeles and Nice Guys Delivery in San Rafael. Hot on their heels in third was some wax by a biblical roster collab of Holy Water x Happy Dreams Farm x Lemon Tree Farms with their Unholy Fez x Kiwi. You can find it at Airfield Supply Co – Redwood City.

Vapes

It’s hard to make vapes as appealing as straight flower or globby dabs, but these brands did it. Shoutout to Arcata Fire x Ridgeline Farms, who nabbed podium spots in both categories. 

Holy Water and Happy Dreams Farms are back to dominate the live resin vapes lane with Lemon Pave.

Arcata Fire x Ridgeline Farms and their Grape Gas sauce cart took second. 

ColdFire Extracts and a lost list of collaborators, Team Elite Genetics x Valley Grove x Lumpy’s Flowers x Green Dawg Cultivators x Blueprint x Booney Acres, took both third and fourth for BHO carts with Mimosa #3 and Grease Bucket.

ColdFire Extracts returned with Mountain Man Melts to take solventless vape gold with their Spritzer “ColdFire Juice Bar.” 

Arcata Fire x Ridgeline round out the podium with two collaborations of live rosin syrup in LANTZ and Grape Gas.

Prerolls 

Infused

Holy Water shows out again with a group effort with Good Pizza x CGO for a Fugazi x Tractor Fuel hash hole in the Deluxe Joint category. Senior Editor David Downs predicted Tractor Fuel would be a hit this year, and he was right again!

Wedding Cake proves it’s still a hit with a first place infused preroll by Selfies.

Moon Valley Cannabis pops up again with Neon Panther for third place.  

Non-infused

Moon Valley Cannabis gets gold and bronze for straight bud joints with Grape Gas and Hash Burger, respectively.

Hogwash Pharms x Huckleberry Hill Farms proves Whitethorn Rose is a winner in all forms. 

Edibles

Oui’d Confections x ST6R x Huckleberry Hill Farms bring the acumen of good food and good weed in the Sweet Category winners, Blackberry Limeade Soft Chew, followed by Emerald Sky’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Shop them here and here. 

Ay Papi and Huckleberry Hill Farms team up with ST6R for a Whitethorn Rose live rosin gummy in third place. P&B made a splash with a Cucumber Melon hash gummy.

If you prefer a bev, you need Blaze Mota x Cheech’s Stash’s Cheeche’lada.

View all The Emerald Cup 2024 winners, and have a great sesh.