A Brief Rundown on California’s New Cannabis Laws
A Brief Rundown on California’s New Cannabis Laws
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed eight new cannabis bills into law recently. Among the new laws is one allowing school staff to administer medicinal cannabis to students using it as treatment for health conditions. Here’s a look at the other recent changes that may affect you or your family members:
Compassion programs can return thanks to a new law that allows providers to donate cannabis to those in need and provides tax breaks for those that do. This is great news for some of California’s most vulnerable patients already carrying the burden of medical debt and other financial strain.
Cannabis testing now allows for products with minor issues to be resubmitted for testing again after problems have been corrected. Previously, failed products were to be essentially destroyed regardless of whether the concern could be addressed or not. This could add up to big savings for cannabis companies.
In an attempt to help communities harmed by the War on Drugs, a new law requires that cannabis licensing authorities develop and implement a need-based fee deferral or waiver program by 2021. Under the new program, at least 60 percent of the dollar amount of waivers and deferrals of fees “must be allocated to equity applicants and licensees.”
Newsom also signed a bill authorizing the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, at UC San Diego, to cultivate cannabis for use in scientific study. Good news for California’s cannabis research!
Yet another cannabis bill allows cannabis employees to unionize without interference from employers.
A cannabis packaging bill allows for a smaller universal vape cartridge symbol to be applied.
And lastly, a bill expanding a restriction on cannabis companies advertising that a product is from a certain county or region in California if it was not actually produced there.
Sadly, Newsom vetoed a bill that would’ve allowed terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in medical facilities, saying that there was too much conflict between federal and state cannabis laws at this point to make it feasible.
Want to make a difference in the quality of life for California’s cannabis users? Make sure to vote in every election in 2020!