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WSWA suggests rules for US cannabis market

Trade body the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America has proposed regulations for the legal sale of cannabis in the US based on the alcohol supply chain model.

The WSWA has proposed regulations on the sale and distribution of cannabis products

The proposed federal regulatory framework from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) is built on four principles reflective of its experience in the spirits trade.

The principles include the federal permission of cannabis producers, importers, testing facilities and distributors; the approval and regulation of cannabis products; the collection of federal excise tax; and the implementation of effective public safety measures.

The framework is inspired by the current federal laws governing the alcohol industry, and the WSWA claims it will provide a ‘transparent and accountable system for adult-use cannabis production, testing, distribution across state lines, effective tax collection and public safety measures’.

Under the regulations, only organisations with the correct permits would be able to produce, import, test and distribute cannabis products. There would also be strict regulations on the products available in the US, covering labelling, formulation, potency and purity.

The proposed framework also strives to safeguard public safety through continued research across the field.

Michelle Korsmo, WSWA CEO and president, said: “Americans have confidence in our regulated alcohol system and our experience can benefit lawmakers creating a US adult-use cannabis market.

“WSWA members have successfully partnered with suppliers and distributed socially sensitive products to locally-licensed retailers for the last century. The US alcohol marketplace is the safest and most diverse in the world because of the smart and enforceable federal regulatory model that ensures product integrity, efficient tax collection and public safety.”

The WSWA’s proposals are said to be similar to the system of permits, product approval and taxation utilised across the alcohol supply chain.

The trade body also said it did not seek to alter how states administer their adult-use programmes, but rather the proposals would be an additive system that allows state and national marketplaces to work together.

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