Cannabis edibles that are set to expire within the next 30 days or lack ample potency will now have a new designated purpose in California.
On Tuesday, Kiva Confections announced the launch of the Kiva Cares Project, a new donation program that will provide medical patients in California with edibles from the company that are either “out of spec”, set to expire within the next month or lack other distribution requisites.
The company says the project was created with the objective of establishing an industry standard for the prevention of cannabis waste and helping those in need. The Kiva Cares initiative will be making its debut in the Golden State initially and eventually expanding across the U.S.
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Kiva originated from a young couple in the Bay Area who started making cannabis-infused chocolate bars in their kitchen and now the company has its products in multiple dispensaries throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The Kiva Cares project was started after the company’s quality and compliance manager learned about the quantity of cannabis products that were being wasted annually due to things like packaging defects, approaching expiration dates and being too potent or not potent enough. She thought that those products could benefit people who lacked access or were struggling financially.
“The cannabis industry has the power and potential to serve public health in a way that is both unique and revolutionary. We are only scratching the surface of scaling the kind of life-changing impact cannabis can have for those consumers who need it most,” said Erika Osueke, quality and compliance manager at Kiva.
Organizations such as Weed for Warriors and the Sweetleaf Collective will assist Kiva with distributing cannabis edibles to those in need through partnerships with various dispensaries.
“Sweetleaf and Team Compassion are excited to be a part of the Kiva Cares Project. These collective industry efforts will undoubtedly help thousands of veterans and patients access US$1.75 million worth of free medical cannabis products through the Kiva Cares Project. Together we are saving and transforming lives,” said Joe Sweetleaf, founder of the Sweetleaf Collective.
