California Cannabis Regulators Launch AI Tool to Help Identify Child-Appealing Packaging
The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has launched a new artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to help cannabis licensees evaluate whether product packaging and labeling may be attractive to children.
The Cannabis Product Image Analyzer (CPIA), announced by the department this week, allows users to upload photos, screenshots or other supported image files of cannabis packaging and labels. The tool then analyzes the image and provides a summary indicating whether the packaging may appeal to children under standards outlined in California regulations.
According to the DCC, the agency does not retain uploaded images or the resulting summaries.
The department said the tool is intended to assist licensees in conducting their own independent evaluations of packaging and labeling compliance. California regulations prohibit cannabis products that are attractive to children.
Examples of prohibited imagery may include images of minors or individuals under 21 years of age, cartoons, likenesses of characters or phrases commonly used to advertise to children, imitations of candy packaging, and the use of terms such as “candy,” “candies,” or alternative spellings including “kandy” and “kandeez.”
Regulators are encouraging licensees to test the new tool and provide feedback through a public survey. The DCC said responses will help guide future enhancements and functionality.
The announcement was included in a broader regulatory update from the department highlighting several ongoing rulemaking efforts.
Among the recent changes, the DCC reported that emergency regulations have been adopted allowing retail licensees holding both adult-use (A) and medicinal (M) designations to separate those designations and establish a related M-designation retail license at the same licensed premises. Eligible businesses can request the separation through a newly available application process.
The department is also accepting public comments on proposed Track and Trace system updates through July 20, 2026. The proposed changes would introduce additional safeguards against fraudulent transactions and potential abuses associated with “lab shopping,” while also expanding data entry requirements, requiring certain tax information from retailers, and mandating that retailers provide Certificates of Analysis to customers upon request. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for July 21.
Separately, regulators continue to seek public input on proposed updates to pesticide testing requirements for cannabis products. Comments on that rulemaking proposal are being accepted through June 12.
The DCC also announced upcoming public listening sessions as part of an effort to increase engagement between licensees and department leadership. In-person sessions are scheduled for June 24 in Redway and July 30 in Sacramento, with additional 2026 dates expected to be announced later.
In another update, the department said cultivation licensees that requested both adult-use and medicinal designations can now view both designations on their license certificates and license records. The agency reiterated that licensees may conduct business with other licensees regardless of whether their licenses carry an A- or M-designation.
The department said it continues to monitor federal cannabis rescheduling developments and will provide updated resources as information becomes available.
The regulatory update also included a recent consumer advisory regarding a voluntary recall issued June 2 for a single Teds Budz flower product due to the presence of Aspergillus terreus. Additional recall information remains available through the department’s recalls portal.
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