California Cannabis Legislative Bill Tracker: 2023-2024 Edition

For more information on any of the bills below, contact our office today. Our attorneys are happy to walk you through any proposed changes and how they may impact your business. 

Bill What It Does Current Status
AB 993 Adds a representative from the Civil Rights Department and the Department of Industrial Relations to the existing Task Force on State and Local Regulation of Commercial Cannabis Activity Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate. 
AB 794 Requires all cannabis advertisements and marketing include the licensee’s name in addition to the licensee number, and would prohibit a technology platform or an outdoor advertising company from displaying an advertisement unless the advertisement displays the licensee’s name and license number Referred to Business & Professions Committee
AB 766 Requires a commercial cannabis licensee to pay for goods and services sold or transferred by another licensee, no later than 15 days after the date set in the invoice, if the goods and services have a total value of at least $5,000. Requires a licensee who is not paid in full within 15 days to report to DCC the delinquent payment, and requires DCC to take disciplinary action In committee.
AB 741 Prohibits the California FAIR Plan Association from refusing to issue, canceling, or refusing to renew coverage because the applicant or policyholder possesses or has previously possessed a legal amount of cannabis, concentrated cannabis, or living cannabis plants, or the applicant or policyholder is or has been a commercial cannabis licensee Referred to Insurance Committee.
AB 687 Requires DCC to grant local agencies read access to the California Cannabis Track and Trace database and requires, if cannabis or cannabis products are delivered, to include the ZIP code of the delivery address in the CCTT database Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate.
AB 623 Requires DCC to establish regulations to adjust testing variances for edible products that include less than 5 mg of THC in total Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate. 
AB 471 Authorizes DCC to issue a state caterer license that permits licensee to serve cannabis at a private event that has received approval from a local jurisdiction for the purpose of allowing event attendees to consume cannabis. In Appropriations committee. Held under submission.
AB 420 Allows for licensees to manufacture, distribute, or sell products that contain industrial hemp, as well as cannabinoids, extracts, or derivatives from
industrial hemp
Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate. 
AB 374 Authorizes local jurisdictions to allow cannabis retaiers to prepare and serve non-cannabis food and beverages, and to hold and sell tickets to live musical or other performances, in the area of the premises where consumption of cannabis and cannabis goods is authorized Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate. 
AB 351 Authorizes DCC to transfer, assign, or reassign licenses for commercial cannabis activity Held under submission in Assembly Committee on Appropriations 
AB 1719 Provide that CEQA does not apply to specified actions taken by the DCC or local jurisdiction that authorize commercial cannabis activity consisting of retail, distribution, manufacture, or laboratory testing, if specified conditions related to the premises are met Re-referred to Assembly Committee on
Natural Resources
AB 1684 Expands existing law that allows local agencies to immediately impose administrative fines or penalties for specified violations that exist as a result of the illegal cultivation of cannabis to also include the illegal manufacturing, processing, distribution, or retail sale of cannabis Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate.
AB 1619 Requires pharmacist that dispenses a prescription drug to a patient for use that has major or moderate interactions with cannabis or cannabidiol products to affix an auxiliary label to the prescription container with that information. Would require pharmacy to develope a cannabis labeling guidelines on which medications require a label pursuant to the bill. Violation of this requirement would be a crime. Also imposes state-mandated local program No movement
AB 1616 Authorizes the Board of State and Community Corrections to award grants from the California Cannabis Tax Fund to local governments that were previously ineligible and requires BSCC to prioritize grants to local governments whose programs seeks to combat the illicit cannabis market Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate. 
AB 1610 Subjects cannabis testing labs to blind proficiency testing and annual audits to ensure consistency of results across laboratories, and requires the DCC to establish standards for laboratory tests and audits, as well as quality assurance standards for retail products, and to maintain on its website a record of recall orders Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate.
AB 1601 Requires in an action brought by county counsel, city attorney, or city prosecutor, the penalty to first be used to reimburse prosecuting agency for specified costs of bringing action, with 50% of the remainder, if any, paid to county or city, as applicable, and other 50% to be deposited into General Fund  Re-referred to Business & Professions, Judiciary Committees
AB 1581 Exempts specified entities from the requirement to obtain a lake and streambed alteration agreement from DFW for activities authorized pursuant to CESA but requires same notification requirements and payment of fees of those already in place under LSAA process In Senate. First Reading. 
AB 1565 Beginning July 1, 2028, requires DCC to use a disbursement of $15m from the California Cannabis Tax Fund to assist local equity applicants and licensees gaining entry into, and to successfully operate in, the state’s regulated cannabis marketplace Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate.
AB 1448 Redirects specified portions of civil penalties collected for unlicensed commercial cannabis activity from the General Fund to the treasurers of localities that brought the action for the penalties  Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate.
AB 1424 Creates a rebuttable presumption that a cannabis delivery employer violates the prohibition that an employee is prohibited from being laid off or dischraged or refusing to perform work in violation of safety standards if the employer lays off, discharges, or subjects an employee to adverse employment action within 90 days of the employee reporting or documenting an incomplete delivery or refusing to complete a delivery that would create a real and apparent hazard In committee.
AB 1364 Makes nonsubstantive changes to existing law re prohibiting an entity from diverting or obstructing the natural flow of natural water Read First Time. 
AB 1337 Authorizes State Water Board to issue curtailment order for any diversion, regardless of basis of right, when water is not available under the diverter’s priority of right Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate. 
AB 1207 Places restrictions on the advertising, marketing, packaging, and labeling of cannabis and cannabis products and bans the use of flavors and flavor descriptors in cannabis or cannabis products intended for use by inhalation or combustion Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate. 
AB 1171 Authorizes a person licensed under MAUCRSA to bring an action in superior court against a person engaging in commercial cannabis activity without a  license Passed Assembly. Referred to Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development
AB 1126 Specifically authorizes the DCC to issue a citation for misrepresenting unlicensed cannabis products as being licensed, including through the unlicensed use of the cannabis universal symbol  Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate.
AB 1111 Requires the DCC to issue a small produce event sales license, authorizing onsite cannabis sales at state temporary events, to a licensed cultivator who meets specified requirements Passed Assembly. First Reading in Senate.
AB 1021 Provides that if any Schedule 1 controlled substance, other than cannabis/cannabis products currently regulated in California, is federally rescheduled or exempted from the Controlled Substances Act, it will automatically become lawful for health professionals to prescribe, furnish, or dispense under California law  Passed Senate. Second reading in Assembly.
SB 285 Authorizes a licensed cannabis retailer or microbiz to prepare or sell non-cannabis, non-alcoholic food or beverage products, in compliance with retail food code requirements, where the consumption of cannabis is currently allowed and in accordance with local requirements. Permits a licensed cannabis retailer to sell non-cannabis prepackaged food and beverages, as specified Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
SB 302 Expands existing law requiring health facilities to permit terminally ill patients to have access to their medical cannabis to also require health facilities to permit patients who are over 65 years of age and have a chronic disease to have access to their medical cannabis  Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
SB 508 Exempts DCC from acting as the responsible agency under CEQA if specified conditions are met  Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly.
SB 51 Authorizes DCC to issue a provisional license to a local equity applicant, as defined, for retailer activities if specified conditions are met  Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
SB 51 Authorizes DCC to issue provisional license to a local equity applicant, as defined, for retailer activities if specified conditions are met  Passed Senate. Referred to Business & Professions Committee
SB 512 Amends the definition of gross receipts and sales price in the Sales and Use Tax Law to exclude both the state cannabis excise tax and any local taxes imposed on cannabis licensees; and excludes the amount of any cannabis excise tax or sales and use tax from the definition of gross receipts for purposes of a local tax or fee imposed on a cannabis retailer Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
SB 540 Requires the DCC, or or before Jan 1 2025, to create a brochure with information about steps for the safer use of cannabis; permits DCC to reevaluate regulatons pertaining to labeling and packaging requirements for cannabis/cannabis products before July 1 2025; requires DCC to reevaluate regs for labeling and packaging requirements on or before Jan 1 2023, and every 5 years thereafter Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
SB 622 Bill updates requirements under DCC unique identifier program that a cannabis plant have a UI attached to the base and instead authorizes the UI be attached in a number of ways Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
SB 700 Would make it unlawful for an employer to request information from an applicant for employment relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis  Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
SB 753 Makes it a wobbler to plant, cultivate, harvest, dry, or process more than 50 living cannabis plants if specified conditions exist, and adds “surface or groundwater” to the existing statute criminalizing planting, cultivating, harvesting, drying, or processing more than six living cannabis plants when the offense resulted in intentionally or with gross negligence substantial environmental harm to public lands or other public resources Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly.
SB 756 Provides explicit authority to the State Water Board to obtain an inspection warrant in conducting invetsigations and proceedings for violatinos of Water Code; authorizes SWRCP and regional boards to participate in the inspection of unlicensed cannabis cultivation sites with law enforcement; and expands SWRCP and the regional boards’ ability to serve various types of legal docs and provide notice Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
SB 820 Authorizes DCC or any local jurisdiction to seize specified property where unlicensed commercial cannabis activity is conducted and any vehicles used to conceal or transport cannabis products for a person engaging in unlicensed activities, establishes related notice requirements, and provides for forfeiture proceedings, as specified  Held in Appropriation Committee
SB 833 Establishes a cannabis licensing fallowing program no later than March 24, 2024 Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly.
SB 889 Makes five changes to improve tax administration suggested by the CDTFA and the state Board of Equalization Passed Senate. First Reading in Assembly. 
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