(1) The California Uniform Controlled Substances Act makes various acts involving marijuana a crime except as authorized by law. Under the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 and existing law commonly referred to as the Medical Marijuana Program, these authorized exceptions include exemptions for the use of marijuana for personal medical purposes by patients pursuant to physician’s recommendations and exemptions for acts by those patients and their primary caregivers related to that personal medical use. The Medical Marijuana Program also provides immunity from arrest to those exempt patients or designated primary caregivers who engage in certain acts involving marijuana, up to certain limits, and who have identification cards issued pursuant to the program unless there is reasonable cause to believe that the information contained in the card is false or fraudulent, the
card has been obtained by means of fraud, or the person is otherwise in violation of the law. Under existing law, a person who steals, fraudulently uses, or commits other prohibited acts with respect to those identification cards is subject to criminal penalties. Under existing law, a person 18 years of age or older who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes more than 6 living cannabis plants, or any part thereof, may be charged with a felony if specified conditions exist, including when the offense resulted in a violation of endangered or threatened species laws.
The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult of Marijuana Act (AUMA), an initiative measure enacted by the approval of Proposition 64 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, commencing January 1, 2018, requires those patients to possess, and county health departments or their designees to ensure that those identification cards are supported by, physician’s recommendations that comply with
certain requirements.
This bill would require probable cause to believe that the information on the card is false or fraudulent, the card was obtained by fraud, or the person is otherwise in violation of the law to overcome immunity from arrest to patients and primary caregivers in possession of an identification card. The bill would authorize a person 18 years of age or older who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes more than 6 living cannabis plants, or any part thereof, where that activity results in a violation of specified laws relating to the unlawful taking of fish and wildlife to be charged with a felony. By modifying the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) AUMA authorizes a person 21 years of age or older to possess and use up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and up to 8 grams of concentrated cannabis, and to possess up to 6 living marijuana
plants and the marijuana produced by those plants, subject to certain restrictions, as specified. Under AUMA, these restrictions include a prohibition on manufacturing concentrated cannabis using a volatile solvent, defined as volatile organic compounds and dangerous poisons, toxins, or carcinogens, unless done in accordance with a state license. Under AUMA, a violation of this prohibition is a crime.
This bill would change the definition of volatile solvent for these purposes to include a solvent that is or produces a flammable gas or vapor that, when present in the air in sufficient quantities, will create explosive or ignitable mixtures.
(3) The Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA) authorizes a person who obtains both a state license under MCRSA and the relevant local license to engage in commercial medical cannabis activity pursuant to those licenses, as specified. AUMA authorizes a
person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use marijuana activity, which does not include commercial medical cannabis activity, pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. Both MCRSA and AUMA generally divide responsibility for state licensure and regulation between the Bureau of Marijuana Control (bureau) within the Department of Consumer Affairs, which serves as the lead state agency, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the State Department of Public Health. AUMA requires the bureau to convene an advisory committee to advise these licensing authorities on the development of standards and regulations pursuant to the licensing provisions of AUMA, and requires the advisory committee members to include specified subject matter experts. AUMA requires the licensing authorities to begin issuing licenses to engage in commercial adult-use marijuana activity by January 1, 2018.
This bill would repeal MCRSA and include
certain provisions of MCRSA in the licensing provisions of AUMA. Under the bill, these consolidated provisions would be known as the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). The bill would rename the bureau the Bureau of Cannabis Control, would revise references to “marijuana” or “medical cannabis” in existing law to instead refer to “cannabis” or “medicinal cannabis,” respectively, and would apply a definition of “cannabis” similar to the definition used in MCRSA to MAUCRSA. The bill would generally impose the same requirements on both commercial medicinal and commercial adult-use cannabis activity, with specific exceptions. The bill would make applying for and being issued more than one license contingent upon the licensed premises being separate and distinct. The bill would allow a person to test both adult-use cannabis and medicinal cannabis under a single testing laboratory license. The bill would require the protection of the public to be the highest priority for a
licensing authority in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions under MAUCRSA, and would require the protection of the public to be paramount whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted. The bill would require the advisory committee advising the licensing authorities on the development of standards and regulations to include persons who work directly with racially, ethnically, and economically diverse populations.
(4) Under existing law, most of the types of licenses to be issued for commercial adult-use cannabis activity under AUMA correspond to types of licenses to be issued for commercial medicinal cannabis activity under MCRSA. However, specialty cottage cultivation licenses, producing dispensary licenses, and transporter licenses are available under MCRSA but not AUMA, while microbusiness licenses and commencing January 1, 2023, large outdoor, indoor, and
mixed-light cultivation licenses are available under AUMA but not MCRSA.
Under this bill, the types of licenses available for commercial adult-use cannabis activity and commercial medicinal cannabis activity would be the same. The types of licenses available under both MCRSA and AUMA would continue to be available for both kinds of activity, and specialty cottage cultivation licenses, microbusiness licenses, and commencing January 1, 2023, large outdoor, indoor, and mixed-light cultivation licenses would also be available for both kinds of activity. Producing dispensary and transporter licenses would not be available.
This bill would impose certain requirements on the transportation and delivery of cannabis and cannabis products, and would provide the California Highway Patrol authority over the safety of operations of all vehicles transporting cannabis and cannabis products. The bill would require a retailer to notify the
licensing authority and the appropriate law enforcement authorities within 24 hours after discovering specified breaches of security. The bill would prohibit cannabis or cannabis products purchased by a customer from leaving a licensed retail premises unless they are placed in an opaque package.
(5) Both MCRSA and AUMA require cannabis or cannabis products to undergo quality assurance, inspection, and testing, as specified, before the cannabis or cannabis products may be offered for retail sale. Licenses for the testing of cannabis are to be issued by the bureau under MCRSA and by the State Department of Public Health under AUMA.
This bill would revise and recast those requirements to instead require distributors to store cannabis batches on their premises during testing, require testing laboratory employees to obtain samples for testing and transport those samples to testing laboratories, and require
distributors to conduct a quality assurance review to ensure compliance with labeling and packing requirements, among other things, as specified. The bill would create the quality assurance compliance monitor, an employee or contractor of the bureau. The bill, commencing January 1, 2018, would authorize a licensee to sell untested cannabis or cannabis products for a limited time, as determined by the bureau, if the cannabis or cannabis products are labeled as untested and comply with other requirements determined by the bureau. The bill would also require the bureau to issue testing laboratory licenses.
(6) Both MCRSA and AUMA prohibit testing laboratory licensees from obtaining licenses to engage in any other commercial cannabis activity. MCRSA, until January 1, 2026, places certain additional limits on the combinations of medicinal cannabis license types a person may hold. AUMA prohibits large cultivation licensees from obtaining distributor
or microbusiness licenses, but otherwise provides that a person may apply for and be issued more than one license to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity.
The bill would apply the above-described provisions of AUMA to both adult-use cannabis licensees and medicinal cannabis licensees and would not apply MCRSA’s additional limits.
(7) Both MCRSA and AUMA require applicants for state licenses to electronically submit fingerprint images and related information to the Department of Justice for the purpose of obtaining conviction and arrest information and to provide certain information and documentation in or with their applications under penalty of perjury. Although these requirements are generally similar, certain persons who are considered to be applicants subject to these requirements under MCRSA are not considered applicants under AUMA, and certain information or documentation must be
provided by applicants for licenses under MCRSA or AUMA, but not both. Until January 1, 2019, AUMA authorizes licensing authorities to issue temporary licenses for a period of less than 12 months. Until December 31, 2019, AUMA prohibits licensing authorities from issuing licenses to persons who are not residents of California, as specified.
This bill would repeal that residency requirement. Under the bill, applicants for licenses under MAUCRSA would be subject to revised and recasted application requirements, and the persons subject to these requirements would also be revised. By modifying the scope of the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require local jurisdictions to provide information related to their regulation of commercial cannabis activity to the licensing authorities, as specified, and would require a licensing authority to take certain actions with regards to an application for license depending
upon the response of the local jurisdiction. By requiring local governments to provide this information, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill, until July 1, 2019, would exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act the adoption of a specified ordinance, rule, or regulation by a local jurisdiction that requires discretionary review and approval of permits, license, or other authorizations to engage in commercial cannabis activity. The bill would also specify requirements and limitations for those temporary licenses. The bill would provide that MAUCRSA does not prohibit the issuance of a state temporary event license to a licensee authorizing onsite cannabis sales to, and consumption by, persons 21 years of age or older at a county fair or district agricultural association event, provided that certain requirements are met.
(8) MCRSA provides a city in which a state licensed facility is located with the full power
and authority to enforce MCRSA and regulations promulgated by the bureau and licensing authorities under MCRSA, if delegated by the state. MCRSA requires a city with this delegated authority to assume complete responsibility for any regulatory function relating to those licensees within the city limits that would otherwise be performed by the county or any county officer or employee.
This bill would expand these provisions to provide for the state delegation of the full power and authority to enforce MAUCRSA and regulations promulgated by the bureau and other licensing authorities under MAUCRSA to cities.
(9) AUMA requires a licensing authority to deny an application if either the applicant, or the premises for which a state license is applied, do not qualify for licensure. AUMA authorizes the denial of an application for licensure or renewal of a state license if any of specified conditions are met,
including, among other things, the applicant has had a license revoked under AUMA, and the failure to comply with certain requirements imposed to protect natural resources. AUMA requires licensing authorities, in determining whether to grant, deny, or renew a license to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity, to consider factors reasonably related to the determination, including whether it is reasonably foreseeable that issuance, denial, or renewal of the license could allow unreasonable restraints on competition by creation or maintenance of unlawful monopoly power or could result in an excessive concentration of retail, microbusiness, or nonprofit licensees, among other factors. Beginning on March 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, AUMA requires, and beginning on March 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, MCRSA requires, each licensing authority to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report containing specified information on the authority’s activities concerning commercial cannabis activities
and to post the report on the authority’s Internet Web site.
This bill would additionally authorize the denial of an application for licensure or renewal of a state license if the applicant has a license suspended under MAUCRSA or for inability to comply with certain requirements. The bill would remove the factors referenced above from consideration of a licensing authority in making a licensing decision, except that the bureau would continue to consider if an excessive concentration of licensees exists in determining whether to grant, deny, or renew a retail license, microbusiness license, or nonprofit license. The bill would require state licensing authorities to include in the first publication of their annual reports, which would be due on March 1, 2023, a joint report regarding the state of the cannabis market in California which identifies any statutory or regulatory changes necessary to ensure that the implementation of MAUCRSA does not result in those
factors occurring, as specified. The bill would require, no later than January 1, 2018, the Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency or the secretary’s designee to initiate work with the Legislature, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the State Department of Public Health and any other related departments to ensure that there is a safe and viable way to collect cash payments for taxes and fees related to the regulation of cannabis activity throughout the state.
(10) AUMA establishes the Marijuana Control Appeals Panel and requires the panel to consist of 3 members appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by a majority vote of all of the members elected to the Senate. AUMA allows any person aggrieved by a state licensing authority decision ordering a penalty assessment or issuing, denying, transferring, conditioning, suspending, or revoking a license to engage in
commercial adult-use cannabis activity to appeal that decision to the panel. AUMA limits the panel’s review of those decisions to specific inquiries. AUMA also allows a licensing authority or any person aggrieved by an order of the panel to seek judicial review of the order, as specified.
This bill would rename the panel the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel, and would require the membership of the panel to include one member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and one member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly in addition to the 3 members appointed by the Governor. The bill would revise the panel’s jurisdiction to include the review of appeals of state licensing authority decisions with regard to both commercial medicinal and commercial adult-use cannabis activity, and would provide for the appeal of orders of the panel to the Supreme Court and the courts of appeal, as specified. The bill would limit the judicial review of panel orders to specific
inquiries and would provide that the findings and conclusions of state licensing authorities on questions of fact are final and not subject to review.
(11) AUMA prescribes various restrictions and requirements on the advertising or marketing of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products. MCRSA sets forth prohibitions on the adulteration or misbranding of medicinal cannabis products and authorizes the State Department of Public Health to take certain actions when it has evidence that a medicinal cannabis product is adulterated or misbranded. Existing law also authorizes the State Department of Public Health to issue citations and fines for violations of MCRSA or regulations adopted under MCRSA, as specified.
This bill additionally would prohibit a technology platform or an outdoor advertising company from displaying an advertisement from a licensee on an Internet Web page unless the
advertisement displays the licensee’s license number. The bill would generally apply those advertising and marketing restrictions, and those adulteration and misbranding prohibitions and enforcement provisions, to both medicinal and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products. The bill would also require edible cannabis products to be marked with a universal symbol, as specified. The bill would revise the State Department of Public Health’s authority to issue citations and fines to include all violations of MAUCRSA and regulations adopted under MAUCRSA.
(12) Under existing law, licensing fees received by the state licensing authorities under both MCRSA and AUMA are deposited into the Marijuana Control Fund and fine and penalty moneys collected under MCRSA are generally deposited into the Medical Cannabis Fines and Penalties Account within the fund.
This bill would rename the Marijuana Control Fund the
Cannabis Control Fund, would rename the Medical Cannabis Fines and Penalties Account the Cannabis Fines and Penalties Account, and would generally provide for the deposit of fine and penalty money collected under MAUCRSA into the Cannabis Fines and Penalties Account. The bill would appropriate $3,000,000 from the Cannabis Control Fund to the Department of the California Highway Patrol to be used for training drug recognition experts, as specified. The bill would require the bureau, in coordination with the Department of General Services, by July 1, 2018, to establish an office to collect fees and taxes in the County of Humboldt, County of Trinity, or County of Mendocino in order to ensure the safe payment and collection of cash in those counties.
(13) AUMA, commencing January 1, 2018, imposes an excise tax on purchasers of cannabis or cannabis products measured by the gross receipts of retail sale and a separate cultivation tax on harvested
cannabis that enters the commercial market, as specified. A violation of the provisions relating to these taxes is a crime unless otherwise specified. AUMA requires revenues from those taxes to be deposited into the California Marijuana Tax Fund, and continuously appropriates that tax fund for specified purposes pursuant to a specified schedule. Under AUMA, this schedule includes an annual allocation to state licensing authorities for reasonable costs incurred in regulating commercial cannabis activity, to the extent those costs are not reimbursed pursuant to MCRSA and a specified provision of AUMA, and a separate allocation to the California State Auditor for reasonable costs incurred in conducting a specified performance audit that AUMA requires the California State Auditor’s Office to conduct commencing January 1, 2019, and annually thereafter.
This bill would require the cannabis excise tax to be measured by the average market price, as defined, of the retail
sale, instead of by the gross receipts of the retail sale. The bill would define “enters the commercial market” and other terms for the purposes of the cannabis cultivation and excise taxes and would require distributors and, in certain circumstances, manufacturers, to collect and remit the taxes, as specified. The bill would require distributors, instead of retailers and cultivators, to obtain permits from the State Board of Equalization. By modifying the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would rename the tax fund the California Cannabis Tax Fund. The bill would also transfer the performance audit to the Office of State Audits and Evaluations within the Department of Finance, would require the audit to be performed triennially instead of annually, and would transfer the allocation from the tax fund for the reasonable costs incurred in conducting that audit to the Department of Finance. By modifying the purposes for which the tax fund is continuously
appropriated, the bill would make an appropriation.
(14) AUMA authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture to issue licenses for the cultivation of adult-use cannabis beginning January 1, 2018, and to adopt regulations governing the licensing of indoor, outdoor, and mixed-light cultivation sites.
This bill would revise the department’s license types to, among other things, authorize the department to license and adopt regulations governing nursery and special cottage cultivation sites.
(15) Existing law requires the State Water Resources Control Board, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to adopt principles and guidelines for diversion and use of water for cannabis cultivation in areas where cannabis cultivation may have the potential to substantially affect instream
flows. Existing law authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other agencies to establish fees to cover the costs of their cannabis regulatory programs.
This bill would require an application for a license for cultivation to identify the source of water supply. The bill would require a license for cultivation to include additional requirements for compliance with the above-described provisions and to include in every license for cultivation a condition that the license is prohibited from being effective until the licensee has complied with provisions relating to a streambed alteration agreement or has received written verification from the Department of Fish and Wildlife that a streambed alteration agreement is not required. The bill would prohibit the Department of Fish and Wildlife from issuing new licenses or increasing the total number of plant identifiers within a watershed or area if the
board or the Department of Food and Agriculture finds, based on substantial evidence, that cannabis cultivation is causing significant adverse impacts on the environment in a watershed or other geographic area. The bill would expand the authorization for the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other agencies to establish fees to cover the costs of their cannabis programs, regardless of whether the programs are regulatory.
(16) AUMA requires each California regional water quality board and authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to address discharges of waste resulting from medical cannabis cultivation and adult-use cannabis cultivation.
This bill would require the state board or the appropriate regional board to address the discharges of waste resulting from cannabis cultivation.
(17) Existing law prohibits an entity from substantially diverting or obstructing the natural flow of, or substantially changing or using any material from the bed, channel, or bank of, any river, stream, or lake, or from depositing certain material where it may pass into any river, stream, or lake, without first notifying the Department of Fish and Wildlife of that activity, and entering into a lake or streambed alteration agreement if required by the department to protect fish and wildlife resources. Existing law exempts an entity from the requirement to enter into a lake or streambed alteration agreement with the department for activities authorized by a license or renewed license for cannabis cultivation issued by the Department of Food and Agriculture for the term of the license or renewed license if the entity submits to the department the written notification, a copy of the license or renewed license, and the fee required for a lake or
streambed alteration agreement, and the department determines certain requirements are met. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt regulations establishing the requirements and procedure for the issuance of a general agreement in a geographic area for a category or categories of activities related to cannabis cultivation that would be in lieu of an individual lake or streambed alteration agreement.
This bill would instead authorize the department to adopt general agreements for the cultivation of cannabis and would require the adoption or amendment of a general agreement to be done by the department as an emergency regulation. The bill would require any general agreement adopted by the department subsequent to adoption of regulations to be in lieu of an individual lake or streambed alteration agreement.
(18) AUMA requires standards developed by the Department of Pesticide Regulation, in
consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, for the use of pesticides in cultivation, and maximum tolerances for pesticides and other foreign object residue in harvested cannabis to apply to licensed cultivators.
This bill would require the Department of Pesticide Regulation to develop guidelines for the use of pesticides in the cultivation of cannabis and residue in harvested cannabis. The bill would prohibit a cannabis cultivator from using any pesticide that has been banned for use in the state.
(19) Under existing law, the Department of Pesticide Regulation generally regulates pesticide use. A violation of those provisions and regulations adopted pursuant to those provisions is generally a misdemeanor. AUMA requires the Department of Pesticide Regulation, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board, to promulgate regulations
that require the application of pesticides or other pest control in connection with cannabis cultivation to meet standards equivalent to certain provisions of existing law where the department generally regulates pesticide use.
This bill would instead require the Department of Pesticide Regulation to require that the application of pesticides or other pest control in connection with cannabis cultivation comply with the department’s general regulation of pesticide use. Because the violation of those provisions and regulations adopted pursuant to those provisions is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(20) AUMA requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, in conjunction with the bureau, to establish a certified organic designation and organic certification program for adult-use cannabis and cannabis products, as prescribed.
This bill would eliminate the role of the bureau in establishing the designation and program. The bill would require, not later than January 1, 2021, the department to establish a program for cannabis comparable to the federal National Organic Program and the California Organic Food and Farming Act. The bill would require the department to be the sole determiner of organic designation and certification, unless the federal National Organic Program authorizes organic designation and certification for cannabis, in which case the department’s authority would be repealed on the following January 1. The bill would prohibit a person from representing, selling, or offering any cannabis or cannabis products as organic or with the designation or certification established by the department, except as provided.
(21) AUMA requires the bureau to establish standards for recognition of a particular appellation of origin
applicable to adult-use cannabis grown or cultivated in a certain geographical area in California.
This bill would transfer this responsibility to the Department of Food and Agriculture and require the department to begin establishing standards to designate a county of origin for cannabis no later than January 1, 2018. The bill would require the department, no later than January 1, 2021, to establish a process by which licensed cultivators may establish appellations of standards, practices, and varietals applicable to cannabis grown in a certain geographical area in California.
(22) Existing law requires each licensed cultivator of adult-use cannabis to ensure that the licensed premises do not pose an unreasonable risk of fire or combustion and requires each cultivator to ensure that certain property is carefully maintained to avoid unreasonable or dangerous risk to the property or
others.
This bill would repeal and replace these provisions with a requirement that specific provisions concerning building standards relating to fire and panic safety and regulations of the State Fire Marshal, including a requirement that the chief of any city, county, or city and county fire department or district providing fire protection services, or a Designated Campus Fire Marshal, and their authorized representatives, enforce these standards and regulations in their respective areas, also apply to licensees under MAUCRSA. By increasing the duties of local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(23) MCRSA requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the bureau, to establish a track and trace program for reporting the movement of medical cannabis items throughout the distribution chain that utilizes a
unique identifier and secure packaging and is capable of providing certain information. AUMA requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the bureau and the State Board of Equalization, to expand the track and trace program provided for under MCRSA to include the reporting of the movement of adult-use cannabis and cannabis products throughout the distribution chain and to provide the amount of cultivation tax due.
This bill would instead require the establishment of a track and trace program to be the responsibility of the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the bureau. The bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county to administer a unique identifier and associated identifying information but would prohibit this from supplanting the Department of Food and Agriculture’s track and trace program.
(24) MCRSA
requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the State Board of Equalization, to create an electronic database containing the electronic shipping manifests to facilitate the administration of the track and trace program. MCRSA requires the information received and contained in records kept by the Department of Food and Agriculture or licensing authorities for the purposes of administering the medical cannabis track and trace program to be confidential and generally prohibits information from being disclosed pursuant to the California Public Records Act.
This bill would expand this exemption to the California Public Records Act to also apply to information received in the track and trace program for reporting the movement of adult-use cannabis and cannabis products.
(25) AUMA and MCRSA require licensees to maintain records of commercial
cannabis activity, as specified. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish and maintain a voluntary program for the issuance of identification cards to qualified patients who have a physician’s recommendation for medical cannabis. Existing law requires the counties to process applications and maintain records for the identification card program.
Existing law, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, prohibits providers of health care, health care service plans, contractors, employers, and 3rd-party administrators, among others, from disclosing medical information, as defined, without the patient’s written authorization, subject to certain exceptions, as specified. A violation of the act resulting in economic loss or personal injury to a patient is a misdemeanor and subjects the violating party to liability for specified damages and administrative fines and penalties.
Existing law deems
information identifying the names of patients, their medical conditions, or the names of their primary caregivers, received and contained in records of the State Department of Public Health and by any county public health department to be “medical information” within the meaning of the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, and prohibits the department or any county public health department from disclosing this information, except as specified. Existing law requires information identifying the names of patients, their medical conditions, or the names of their primary caregivers, received and contained in records kept by the Bureau of Marijuana Control for the purposes of administering MCRSA to be maintained in accordance with state law relating to patient access to his or her health records, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, and other state and federal laws relating to confidential patient information.
This bill would deem information contained in
a physician’s recommendation to use cannabis for medical purposes to be “medical information” within the meaning of the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, and would prohibit a licensee from disclosing this information, except as specified. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.
(26) AUMA authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture to charge a fee to cover the reasonable costs of issuing the unique identifier and monitoring, tracking, and inspecting each adult-use cannabis plant.
This bill would authorize the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to enter into a cooperative agreement with a county agricultural commissioner or other state or local agency to assist the department in implementing certain responsibilities pertaining to the cultivation of cannabis and would require the secretary to provide notice of any
cooperative agreement, as prescribed. The bill requires the Department of Food and Agriculture under a cooperative agreement to provide reimbursement from the fees collected to a county agricultural commissioner, state agency, or local agency. The bill prohibits the secretary from delegating authority to issue cultivation licenses to a county agricultural commissioner, a local agency, or another state agency.
(27) Existing law, the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act, provides for the regulation of the growing and cultivation of industrial hemp under the Department of Food and Agriculture. AUMA provided that the bureau has authority to regulate and control plants and products that fit within the definition of industrial hemp but that are produced, processed, manufactured, tested, delivered, or otherwise handled under a license issued under the provisions of AUMA.
This bill would
eliminate the authority of the bureau to regulate and control industrial hemp.
(28) Existing law, the Milk and Milk Products Act of 1947, regulates the production of milk and milk products in this state. The act specifies standards for butter. The act requires a license from the Secretary of Food and Agriculture for each separate milk products plant or place of business dealing in, receiving, manufacturing, freezing, or processing milk, or any milk product, or manufacturing, freezing, or processing imitation ice cream or imitation ice milk. Existing law exempts from the act butter purchased from a licensed milk products plant or retail location that is subsequently infused or mixed with medical cannabis at the premises or location that is not required to be licensed as a milk products plant.
This bill would also exempt butter that is subsequently infused or
mixed with adult-use cannabis.
(29) Existing law permits 3 or more natural persons, a majority of whom are residents of this state, who are engaged in the production of certain products, including agricultural and farm products, to form a nonprofit cooperative association for specified purposes. Existing law imposes various requirements on the formation, reorganization, operation, and dissolution on the associations.
This bill would authorize 3 or more natural persons, who are engaged in the cultivation of any cannabis product, to form an association, defined as a cannabis cooperative for specified purposes. The bill would impose similar requirements on the formation, reorganization, operation, and dissolution on these associations.
(30) Existing law specifies the duties and powers of the Commissioner of the
California Highway Patrol.
This bill would require the commissioner to appoint, and serve as the chairperson of, an impaired driving task force, with specified membership, to develop recommendations for best practices, protocols, proposed legislation, and other policies that will address the issue of impaired driving, as specified. The bill would require the task force, by January 1, 2021, to report to the Legislature its policy recommendations and the steps that state agencies are taking regarding impaired driving.
(31) Existing law makes it an infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding $100 for a person to possess not more than one ounce of cannabis while driving a motor vehicle, as specified, unless otherwise authorized by law.
This bill would repeal that provision and instead make it an infraction
punishable by a fine not exceeding $100 for a person to possess a receptacle containing cannabis or cannabis product that has been opened, or a seal broken, or to possess loose cannabis flower not in a container, while driving a motor vehicle, as specified, unless the receptacle is in the trunk of the vehicle or the person is a qualified patient carrying a current identification card or a physician’s recommendation and the cannabis or cannabis product is contained in a container or receptacle that is either sealed, resealed, or closed. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(32) This bill would make a variety of conforming and related changes.
(33) This bill would provide that its provisions are severable.
(34) Existing constitutional provisions require that a
statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
(35) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by
the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
(36) AUMA authorizes the Legislature to amend its provisions by a 2/3 vote of each house if the amendment furthers its purposes and intent.
This bill would state that the bill furthers the purposes and intent of AUMA for specified reasons.
(37) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.