About CHSA
An independent voice on cannabis safety
We help people in California, and later the rest of the United States, understand which cannabis risks can be identified, reduced and regulated, and what to know before making decisions.
Draft — pending review. This page is a working draft. Anything marked PLACEHOLDER or VERIFY is not final.
Our mission
To advance public health and consumer safety by providing independent, evidence-based education about cannabis products, testing, labeling, recalls and regulation, and by supporting evidence-based public policy.
The question behind everything we publish: how can I make a more informed and safer decision about cannabis?
Know what you’re consuming. Testing. Traceability. Transparency.
The rule we never break
We will never tell you that cannabis, a product, a store or a state is “safe.”
Testing and regulation reduce important categories of preventable risk. They don’t make cannabis risk-free. So we describe specific risks, how strong the evidence is, and what you can check yourself.
That rule cuts both ways. When a licensed product is recalled, we publish it prominently and without spin. Our credibility depends on being willing to criticize the regulated market when the evidence calls for it.
CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.
What we do
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Explain
Plain-language guides on testing, labels, contaminants and the rules, with sources and dates.
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Point to the regulator
Links to official license lookups and rules. We link; we don’t list or rank stores.
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Republish recalls
Regulator recall notices, quoted word for word and linked to the source.
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Route reports
Help finding the agency that can act on a problem.
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Explain research
What studies found, how strong the evidence is, and what is still unknown.
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Take clear positions
Policy positions are labeled as CHSA positions, kept apart from education.
What we don’t do
- We don’t sell cannabis, help anyone buy it, or run a store finder, referral, discount or ordering service.
- We don’t test, certify or endorse products, stores or brands.
- We are not a regulator. We can’t inspect, license or punish anyone.
- We don’t give medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.
- We don’t let funders review or change what we publish.
CHSA is not a regulator and does not certify products. Not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.
Who we are
The Cannabis Health & Safety Alliance is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. It was founded by a group of California residents who care about cannabis health and safety.
Our editorial team follows the rules on our editorial standards page. We will publish our board roster and each director’s conflict-of-interest disclosure on our governance page.
How we work
- Governance Board independence, recusal and conflict-of-interest rules.
- Funding What money we take, what we refuse, and what we disclose.
- Editorial standards Sources, evidence levels, review and naming rules.
- Corrections How to report an error, and our public log.
- Contact Who to write to, and what not to send.