OCal is a unique term for commercial cannabis products in California, comparable to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) and the California Organic Food and Farming Act (COFFA). The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has developed regulations for OCal certification of marijuana cultivators, while certification for cannabis product manufacturers such as Jetty is overseen by the Food and Drug Branch (FDB) of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which enforces standards for manufactured cannabis products sold, labeled or represented as OCal.

“The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) was mandated by state law to develop a program for manufactured cannabis products that is comparable to the National Organic Program and California Organic Food and Farming Act,” the agency explains on its website. “The term ‘organic’ is a designation reserved by the United States Department of Agriculture for products that are certified as organic, per the standards of the National Organic Program. Because cannabis is illegal under federal law, cannabis operations cannot be certified organic under the National Organic Program, therefore the word organic cannot be used to refer to cannabis grown or manufactured in California.”
 

The OCal Program safeguards the integrity of its standards by working with third-party certifying agents to ensure compliance with the OCal Program’s regulations. Through certification, the program ensures that cannabis products bearing the OCal seal have been certified to consistent, uniform standards comparable to the National Organic Program.

 

To qualify for OCal certification, cannabis plant material must be non-bioengineered and cultivated without the use of most conventional pesticides and fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge and not be subjected to ionizing radiation. OCal-certified manufactured products must also be made without artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. Only specific types of extraction, including solventless extraction, are eligible for certification.