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Independent consumer-safety information California

Know what you’re consuming.

Plain answers about cannabis testing, labels, licenses and recalls in California, so you can spot preventable risks before you buy.

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.

Where do you live?

Other states: coming later

We cover California first. Pages for other states will follow as each one is researched and reviewed. Until then, the basics apply wherever you live.

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

What to look for on a California label

  1. Universal symbol. Required on California cannabis packages.1
  2. THC per serving. How much is in one serving, and in the whole package.2
  3. Batch or lot ID. Match it against recall notices.
  4. License number. Look the business up in the state license search.
  5. Test lab and date. Ask for the certificate of analysis (COA) for this batch.

Illustration only. Real labels vary by product type. How to read a California label

What do you need?

Check current safety alerts and recalls

Testing. Traceability. Transparency.

Know your cannabis: five questions before you buy

Testing, traceability and transparency are what make a product knowable. These questions put them to work.

  1. Know the source

    Where did it come from?

    Buy from a licensed store or delivery service. Products from outside the licensed market can skip the state’s required testing and tracking. Before-you-buy checklist

    Traceability

  2. Know the license

    Is the seller licensed?

    California stores must post a state QR code in the front window.3 Scan it, or look the business up in the state’s license search. How to check a license

    Traceability

  3. Know the test

    Was this batch tested?

    California requires lab testing before sale.4 Ask for the certificate of analysis (COA) and check that its batch number matches the package. How testing works

    Testing

  4. Know the label

    What does the label say?

    Look for the universal symbol,1 the THC per serving, the batch ID and the government warning. How to read a California label

    Transparency

  5. Know the dose

    How much THC is in a serving?

    In California, an edible serving can contain up to 10 mg of THC, and a package up to 100 mg.2 Check the serving size before you start.

    Transparency

These questions help you spot preventable risks. They can’t tell you that a product is free of risk.

Use the before-you-buy checklist

Latest recalls

California cannabis recalls

CHSA monitors recall notices from California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and links each one to the official notice. Recalls from other states are not covered yet.

See California recalls DCC recall portal

How recalls work

Mandatory recall
Ordered by DCC when a product is an immediate and serious threat to life or health.5
Voluntary recall
Started by the licensed business itself. DCC posts both kinds.

Have a product at home? Compare the batch or lot ID on the package with the one in the notice. If it matches, stop using it and follow the notice’s instructions.

What the evidence says

Research, explained plainly

We read new studies and explain what they found, how strong the evidence is, and what it means for you.

Research explained Browse research explainers

One number, with its source

749

calls to the California Poison Control System in 2024 about cannabis and children aged 5 and under. In 2016, there were 148.

Source California Department of Public Health, Cannabis-related calls to the California Poison Control System, 2016–2024 · 2016–2024 data · page updated

Take action · Latest

Rules change. Here’s what’s moving.

In review: draft guide

Explainer

Is delta-8 legal in California?

California’s AB 8 restricts intoxicating hemp products.6 New federal hemp rules have two start dates: and .7

Sources for this page

  1. California cannabis regulations (revised July 1, 2026) California Department of Cannabis Control , Cal. Code Regs. tit. 4, § 17410 (universal symbol) · Retrieved
  2. California cannabis regulations (revised July 1, 2026) California Department of Cannabis Control , Cal. Code Regs. tit. 4, § 17304(a) (THC per serving and per package) · Retrieved
  3. California cannabis regulations (revised July 1, 2026) California Department of Cannabis Control , Cal. Code Regs. tit. 4, § 15039(b)–(d) (QR code certificate) · Retrieved
  4. Business and Professions Code § 26100 (testing before sale) California Legislature · Retrieved
  5. Cannabis recalls and safety notices California Department of Cannabis Control · Retrieved
  6. AB 8 (2025), Cannabis: cannabinoids: industrial hemp California Legislature , Ch. 248, Stats. 2025 · Retrieved
  7. CRS In Focus IF13136 (federal hemp redefinition) Congressional Research Service , version 5 · Published · Retrieved

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