Oregon strain aficionados may be saying goodbye to some of their favorite strain names, under new rules announced last week by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). The Commission passed a temporary rule that clarifies the restrictions on product wording associated with products marketed by or to children. Goodbye, Bruce Banner. So long, GSC (f.k.a Girl Scout Cookies).
State law allows the Commission to regulate cannabis strain names that they deem attractive to minors. The new rule directs OLCC staff to restrict a narrow set of strains that refer to cartoon characters, or names associated with toys and or games marketed to or by children. Companies that have products with the names on it will not be subject to immediate enforcement, said OLCC Executive Director Steve Marks. He said the agency will help inform companies so they can screen out future packaging that contains the names.
After reviewing about 500 cannabis strain names, OLCC staff narrowed the cut list to fewer than 20 strains. The OLCC will work with the industry to correct both packaging and labeling compliance issues.
If you are in Oregon, look out for more guidance and lists of suspect names that will be regulated like the list below from the OLCC, as they will work on these issues as it finalizes its overall permanent rules later this year.
Licensees can also submit strain names to marijuana.packaging@oregon.com to seek guidance on this “attractiveness to children” standard. The full list of banned names, with explanations from the OLCC, can be found in the table below:
| Example | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RATIONALE | STRAIN/MARKETING PHRASE | DERIVATIVE STRAINS | NOTES |
| Marketed by & Marketed to Children | Girl Scout Cookies | Platinum Girl Scout Cookies, Thin Mint GSC | Cookies sold primarily door to door by the youth organization the Girl Scouts of America |
| Marketed to Children | Grape Ape | Children's cartoon character produced by Hanna Barbera | |
| Marketed to Children | Candyland | Child's board game by Hasbro | |
| Marketed to Children | Charlotte's Web | Children's book by E.B. White | |
| Marketed to Children | Cinderella | Cinderella 99 | Children's storybook character |
| Marketed to Children | Dr. Who | Fictional character currently marketed to children including cartoon show | |
| Marketed to Children | Bubblelicous | Bubblegum specifically marketed directly to children | |
| Marketed to Children | Smurf | Smurfette, Smurf Pussy | Children's cartoon characters and popular franchise |
| Marketed to Children | Bruce Banner | Bruce Banner #3, GG#4/Bruce Banner | Alter ego of popular Marvel children's cartoon character the Hulk |
| Marketed to Children | Death Star | Reference to the popular Star Wars franchise marketed to children | |
| Marketed to Children | Skywalker | Skywalker OG | Reference to the popular Star Wars franchise marketed to children |
| Marketed to Children | Jedi Kush | Reference to the popular Star Wars franchise marketed to children | |
| Contains Untruthful or Misleading Content | LSD | Is the common street name for illegal drug if contained in the package would constitute adulterated content. | |
| Contains Untruthful or Misleading Content | Blow | Is the common street name for illegal drug if contained in the package would constitute adulterated content. |
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Gage Peake is a former staff writer for Leafly, where he specialized in data journalism, sports, and breaking news coverage. He's a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
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