Any other operation that routinely labeled its products "organic" without certification to back up the claim would have been shut down and fined almost immediately, an expert in organic certification said.
Colorado's cannabis industry, though, has benefited from the regulatory gray area where it resides, producing a product that is legal to consume and sell in Colorado but remains illegal under federal law.
"If those farmers were farming any other agricultural crop, they would be contacted within a month or two," said Chris Van Hook, an accredited organic certifier for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and owner of Clean Green Certified, an organic-alternative program for cannabis. "It's very clear in the organic regulations: It's a $11,000-per-violation labeling infraction to call an uncertified product organic."