Colorado tightens equivalency rules on hemp-derived cannabinoids

Colorado has moved further than most states in defining when a hemp-derived product stops being agricultural and becomes a cannabis product. The state applies an equivalency calculation, and products above the threshold must be produced and sold inside the licensed cannabis supply chain.

For processors the change is operational. Formulations must be calculated against the threshold, licence scope checked before a product is packaged, and records kept that show the calculation was performed.

The state's testing and contaminant standards apply to the finished product, so a processor that converts compliant hemp into a compliant concentration still has to satisfy the cannabis testing regime.