Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee announced an emergency set of rules on Tuesday to govern edibles manufacturers and the retail stores that sell edible products.
According to the rules, edibles must be sold in child-proof packages, and they may not use cartoon images in their marketing.
Inslee’s rules are the latest steps Washington State regulators are taking toward overseeing edibles companies. Earlier this month the Washington State Department of Health launched a $400,000 advertising campaign warning parents not to let their children eat edible products.
The state will also distribute a brochure at retail stores starting next month which discusses portion control of edibles products.
The rollout of Colorado’s recreational market has been marred by news stories of uneducated customers over-consuming cannabis edibles.
Edible products, however, will likely be absent from store shelves when the state rolls out its recreational industry on July 8. The state is requiring all edibles manufacturers to receive a health inspection from the Agriculture Department, and so far, just one manufacturer has been inspected.
Whether the delay impacts overall sales during the early days of the state’s recreational market is yet to be seen.