LATEST CALIFORNIA MARIJUANA BILL ACTIVITY

This week, the California Assembly and Senate took action on a number of marijuana related bills ahead of the August 31st deadline for passing bills before the 2018 final recess.  In addition to the passing of Assembly Bills 1741 (Cannabis: Taxation: Electronic Fund Transfer) and 3069 (Cannabis:  Information, Educational, Training Events), the California Legislature has taken action on the following bills:

• SB-829 Cannabis: compassion care license.  

  • Summary:  Amends  Amends the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act to establish a compassion care license issued to an M-licensee who, for no consideration, donates medicinal cannabis, or medicinal cannabis products, to qualified medicinal cannabis patients who possess a physician’s recommendation. The bill requires the Bureau of Cannabis Control to issue and regulate the compassion care licenses.

  • Status:  Assembly-In Floor Process-Second Reading

• SB-1294: Cannabis: state and local equity programs. 

  • Summary:  The bill enacts the Cannabis Collaboration and Inclusion Act, which provides local jurisdictions with funding for assistance from the Bureau of Cannabis Control to help local equity applicants and licensees identified by the jurisdiction.  The funding can help cover small business support services to those persons from economically disadvantaged communities that are negatively impacted by cannabis production.  Assistance can also be structured in the form of (1) tiered or waived fees, (2) help obtaining a business establishment, (3) assistance in obtaining capital investment, and (4) recruitment, training and retention of disadvantaged workers.

  • Status:  Assembly-In Floor Process-Second Reading

• AB-1793: Cannabis convictions: resentencing.

  • Summary:  This bill would require the Department of Justice, before July 1, 2019, to  identify past convictions that are potentially eligible for recall or dismissal of sentence, dismissal and sealing, or redesignation pursuant to AUMA. 

  • Status:  Senate-In Floor Process-Third Reading

• AB-1863: Personal income tax: deduction: commercial cannabis activity.

  • Summary:  Amends the Revenue and Taxation Code to allow persons to the deduct expenses related to a commercial cannabis business under the Personal Income Tax Law.

  • Status:  Senate-In Floor Process-Third Reading

• SB-1409: Industrial hemp.

  • Summary:  Amends the Food and Agricultural Code to (1) redefine the definition of “Industrial Hemp”, (2) delete the requirement that industrial hemp seed cultivars be certified on or before January 1, 2013, in order to be included on the list of approved hemp seed cultivars, (3) authorize industrial hemp to be produced by clonal propagation, as provided, of industrial hemp that is on the list of approved seed cultivars, and (4) delete the prohibitions on ornamental cultivation of industrial hemp plants, pruning and tending of individual industrial hemp plants, and culling of industrial hemp. 

  • Status:  Assembly-In Floor Process-Second Reading