Get Your Cannabis Operation OCal Certified

What is OCal certification and why is it important to you’re farming organization? Ocal is a California program that certifies your farm. It allows you to sell your cannabis as comparable to organic in the state. What’s comparable to organic? Simplified, it gives your farm organic status without calling it organic while at the same time certifying it consistent with, and following uniform standards comparable to the National Organic Program

Currently, cannabis cannot be labeled organic. Only the USDA can certify farm products organic. Cannabis is illegal under federal law and so the term organic cannot be used on any cannabis labeling.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) was required by law to establish a certification program for cannabis that is comparable to the National Organic Program and the California Organic Food and Farming Act. However, only the National Organic Program can authorize use of the word “organic” on product packaging.

The term “organic” is a designation reserved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for eligible products that comply with the standards of the National Organic Program. Since cannabis is illegal under federal law, cannabis products are not eligible to carry the “organic” designation.

Read more about the OCal certification program on the CDFA website. You can also find all the application material on their website.