CA Norml – Page 5

Employment Rights, Pain Patients Rights, and Other Cannabis Bills Head for Floor Votes This Week in California Legislature

The Cal NORML-sponsored Employment Rights for cannabis users bill has passed through its committees in the California Assembly and will head to a floor vote this week. If you haven’t done so, please TELL YOUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER TO VOTE YES ON AB 2188 FOR CANNABIS USERS’ EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA.
Also passing through their Appropriations committee hearings and heading to the floor are:
• AB 1954, another Cal NORML-sponsored bill, would protect the right of patients to medical treatment if they use marijuana, and the right of physicians and clinics to treat them. Many physicians are under the mistaken impression that they can’t prescribe pain medication to patients who test positive for cannabis. TELL YOUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER TO VOTE FOR AB 1954.
• A bill Cal NORML opposes, SB 1097, which would require costly, badly designed new label warnings on all cannabis products. PLEASE TELL YOUR STATE SENATOR TO VOTE AGAINST SB 1097.
• SB 1281 (Bradford), the only proposed legislation that would eliminate the cannabis cultivation tax while also lowering the state excise tax. Gov. Newsom’s budget proposal to end the cultivation tax would raise the excise tax from 15% to 19% if cannabis tax revenues fall below $670 million. The budget must be approved by the legislature by June 15. TELL YOUR STATE SENATOR YOU SUPPORT SB 1281.
• AB 1706 (Bonta), which would expedite expungement of past marijuana convictions in California.
TELL YOUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER TO VOTE FOR EXPEDITED CLEARING OF PAST MARIJUANA CONVICTIONS
• AB 2691 (Wood), to allow small cannabis farmers to sell their products as a limited number of events every year.
Support AB 2691 to Allow Temporary Retail Event Licenses to Small Cannabis Farmers
• AB 2595, which would require the State Department of Social Services to treat a parent’s use of cannabis in the same manner as alcohol or legally prescribed medication. TELL YOUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER TO VOTE FOR AB 2595.
• AB 1885, allowing veterinarians to recommend cannabis products. You can send a support letter on AB 1885 via https://petcannabis.org/

Please support Cal NORML’s advocacy efforts in 2022! Click Here to Donate or here to join or renew your individual membership, or take advantage of our April business membership and banner ads specials below.

CAL NORML 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS (through 5/31).
Business Membership Special:
Join Cal NORML and grow your business
$450 for one-year business membership ($50 off)
Includes a listing on CaNORML.org and other multi-platform promotional benefits.
Banner Ad Special:
Increase your support and expand your presence on CaNORML.org
$50 off first two months of your banner ad on CaNORML.org — $100 savings
Reserve your targeted space by contacting kharla@canorml.org or 707-337-9747
The post Employment Rights, Pain Patients Rights, and Other Cannabis Bills Head for Floor Votes This Week in California Legislature appeared first on CaNorml.org.

Primary Election Guide to Cannabis Candidates: June 2022

Here are Cal NORML’s recommendations for pro-cannabis candidates in key or contentious races for the June 7 Primary Election in California. Send any input about other races for this guide here.
Rob Bonta for Attorney General
Bonta has long been a strong friend and supporter of and reasonable voice for cannabis law reform. In 2015, he was one of the Assemblymembers who drafted a set of bills that licensed and regulated medical cannabis, and he repeatedly worked to lower taxes on cannabis in the legislature. In 2018, Asm. Bonta authored Cal NORML’s employment rights for medical marijuana users bill, and introduced AB 1793, which passed into law, creating an automatic pathway for Californians to have criminal convictions for cannabis-related offenses removed or reduced from their records. As AG, Bonta has worked with county officials to expedite the expungement process and announced his office would conduct a six-month review of the interagency CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) program in October 2021.
In the nonpartisan primary, Bonta is running against Republicans Eric Early, who is for gun rights and against critical race theory, and Nathan Hochman, an Assistant US Attorney who prosecuted “narcotics traffickers and violent gang members.” Candidate Daniel Kapelovitz of the Green Party also ran in the Newsom recall; Anne Marie Schubert, who is running as an Independent, is a former Republican who has been cozy with the police unions and opposed legalization.

Tom Lackey for re-election to Assembly District 34 (Apple Valley, California City, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Twentynine Palms and parts of Hesperia, Highland, Lancaster, Palmdale, Victorville)
Lackey, a Republican and former CHP officer, co-sponsored legislation to license medical cannabis businesses in 2015. While supportive of medical access, in 2016 he opposed Prop. 64 to legalize recreational marijuana. Nonetheless, he has posted a good voting record in recent years. He sponsored bills to foster cannabis research, and worked with reform advocates to turn his DUI bill into a CHP task force, on which Cal NORML sat.
In this newly drawn district, Lackey will face Thurston Smith, who this year introduced a pair of bills to criminally or civilly penalize cannabis gardens as small as seven plants, a move seen as grandstanding in a region where Republican congressmen are making similar bluster. However, his office seems to have heard Cal NORML’s objections and his bill AB 2728 has been softened somewhat, removing the seven-plant mention.

Dave Jones for State Senate District 8 (Richmond/Fairfield/Solano County)
Jones has been a strong supporter of cannabis reform since his days in the Assembly. As State Insurance Commissioner, he was one of the few public officials to endorse Prop 64.

Yesenia Sanchez for Alameda County Sheriff
In this anyone-but-Ahern race, Sanchez has the endorsement of the Brownie Mary Club of Alameda County, who tells us Sanchez understands and supports protecting cannabis businesses, saying they should have equal protection as other businesses, and is concerned about the nonaction of Oakland police during recent robberies. She has a focus on mental health, so that prison is not a continuous cycle as it is now. Sanchez has the endorsement of the East Bay Times, which opposes Ahern’s reelection. Ahern has been particularly obstructionist to cannabis businesses in Alameda county.

Rebecca Kaplan for Alameda District 3 Supervisor

Kaplan has been a leading advocate of cannabis reform measures during her tenure as an Oakland City Councilwoman and Vice Mayor, most recently sponsoring a resolution to support Cal NORML’s employment rights for cannabis users bill. Here election would create a cannabis-friendly majority on the Board of Supervisors.

Diana Becton for Contra Costa D.A.
Becton is a progressive who has been proactive on issuing expungements for past marijuana convictions in Contra Costa county. She calls criminal justice reform a leading priority and was endorsed by George Soros’ progressive Real Justice PAC in her last election.

Steven Vargas for Orange County District 4 Supervisor
As a Brea city councilman, Vargas opposed a ban on medical marijuana cultivation in 2016, but opposed deliveries, citing a potential for theft.

Lori Saldaña for San Diego City Council, District 2
Saldaña was a strong advocate for marijuana law reform during her time in the state Assembly. She posted a solid pro-reform voting record, and in 2007 she sponsored a bill that would have made it state policy not to cooperate with DEA raids. In 2008, she co-authored Mark Leno’s Industrial Hemp bill and his Employment Rights for Medical Marijuana Users bill, which passed in the Legislature but was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Dave Myers for San Diego Sheriff
Myers has been openly critical of the county’s over-policing of the cannabis community. “I will enforce a sensible approach to marijuana that permits safe access over black-market options,” he said when he ran in 2018. “The Sheriff currently has only one full-time detective on opioid enforcement, but ten dedicated to marijuana enforcement. Have we ever seen an overdose death on marijuana?”
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Gov. Newsom Proposes Ending Cannabis Cultivation Tax in California

At Gov. Newsom’s press conference this morning announcing his May budget revision, he was asked about his proposal to end the cannabis cultivation tax while keeping the state excise tax at 15%. He announced a $150 million “backfill” from the General Fund to cover any temporary tax income reductions that may affect youth, environmental, or law enforcement programs that are currently funded with Prop. 64 taxes, while announcing a $21 million dollar grant program for local governments looking to open cannabis businesses.
Newsom thanked the people leading this effort, including Sen. Bradford, who just picked up an award at the Cal NORML / ASA Lobby Day for his work toward equity and fairness for cannabis in California. Bradford’s bill SB 1281 was the only legislative proposal this year to end the cultivation tax without raising excise taxes. Cal NORML testified in favor of Bradford’s bill last week in the Senate Governance and Finance committee.

The Governor also cited local governments’ lack of support by not allowing retail, distribution, and other cannabis businesses, in announcing his proposed grant program for locals. “This will be a multiyear process to get go after the illegal market and put the adult use market on steady ground,” he said.
Read the budget proposal.
In excerpt:
CANNABIS CANNABIS TAX REFORM
California’s current cannabis tax framework is overly complex and burdensome for licensees and consumers. Current tax policies disproportionately burden cannabis farmers, create additional administrative costs and instability throughout the supply chain, and lack sufficient transparency for the state, businesses, and consumers. Taken together, these outcomes undermine the societal benefits of a taxed and regulated market. The May Revision proposes statutory changes to reform cannabis taxes. These policy changes aim to greatly simplify the tax structure, remove unnecessary administrative burdens and costs, temporarily reduce the tax rate to support shifting consumers to the legal market, and stabilize the cannabis market with policies that are more transparent and can better adjust to market changes.
Major changes include:
• Setting the cultivation tax rate at zero beginning July 1, 2022.
• Shifting the point of collection and remittance for excise tax from distribution to retail on January 1, 2023, maintaining a 15 percent excise tax rate.
• Setting Allocation 3 funding for youth education/intervention/treatment, environmental restoration, and state and local law enforcement programs at a baseline of $670 million annually for three years. Up to $150 million one-time General Fund is available as needed through 2025-26 to backfill Allocation 3 funding, along with the authority to increase the excise tax rate through 2024-25 if tax revenues fall below the baseline for Allocation 3.
• Strengthening tax enforcement policies to increase tax compliance and collection and reduce unfair competition.

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Cal NORML Legal Webinar: Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Cal NORML Board Members and California cannabis policy experts Lauren Mendelsohn and Hirsh Jain will be hosting a webinar to discuss the most critical issues facing the California cannabis industry. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 from 4:20 – 6 pm.
Lauren and Hirsh will be providing updates and their commentary on five key topics:
• Tax reform efforts at the state and local level
• The expansion of retail licensing across the state
• The impact of the provisional license deadline / CEQA compliance
• Growth in California’s illicit market
• The impact of new DCC regulations
Lauren and Hirsh will also field questions on, and lead an interactive discussion about, these five issues and how they might impact the trajectory of the California cannabis industry in the years ahead.
The suggested donation for those attending is $50, which will go to support Cal NORML’s efforts to promote cannabis access and protect the rights of cannabis consumers in California.
Lauren Mendelsohn is a Senior Associate at The Law Offices at Omar Figueroa, one of the leading cannabis law firms in the California cannabis space. Lauren focuses on cannabis permitting and licensing, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, government affairs (including drafting local ordinances and citizen initiatives, lobbying decision-making bodies, and appearing for clients at administrative hearings), and post-conviction relief.
Hirsh Jain is the Founder of Ananda Strategy, a consultancy that serves many of California’s leading cannabis brands and retailers, helping guide their competitive licensing efforts, expansion strategy, regulatory compliance and M&A activity within California.
Get tickets to the webinar.
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Cal NORML Legal Webinar: Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Cannabis Consumers Call for Tax Relief

With California’s legal cannabis industry in dire straits due to high taxes and regulatory costs, California NORML called on legislators to pass a tax relief bill by Sen. Bradford (SB 1281) at a hearings before the State Senate Governance and Finance Committee on May 4. The Bradford bill would eliminate the state cultivation tax, which was designed to increase retail prices and reduce consumer demand. SB 1281 would also reduce the state’s excise taxes to make legal retailers more competitive with California’s underground market.
It’s estimated that only one-third of cannabis sold in California currently comes from the legal market. By reducing burdensome taxes, SB 1281 would expand the legal industry, producing enough revenue to boost the state’s total cannabis tax receipts in coming years, according to a new report from the Reason Foundation on the economic impact of California cannabis taxes on the legal market.
“Cannabis is grossly overtaxed in California,” says Cal NORML Director Dale Gieringer. “The state collects twice as much in excise taxes from cannabis as from alcohol, even though alcohol is more widely consumed and causes more societal harm.”
State and local cannabis taxes currently amount to some $735 – $1,000 per pound, more than the wholesale prices that farmers receive, which range around $550 – $300 per pound or lower. As a result, California’s legally licensed industry is hard pressed to compete with the untaxed illicit market.
“Cal NORML hears countless consumer complaints about the high cost of cannabis in our state,” says Gieringer. “Many low-income and medical users tell us they can’t afford buy on the legal market. SB 1281 would provide the kind of meaningful, permanent tax cuts that are needed to foster a viable legal industry in California and assure safe access to regulated and tested cannabis products for our state’s consumers.”
Californians can write to their legislators in support of SB 1281 here.
Cal NORML and Americans for Safe Access will be bringing citizen lobbyists from around the state to Sacramento in support of cannabis users’ employment rights, pain patients’ rights, tax relief and more at its Lobby Day on Tuesday, May 10. Senator Bradford will stop in at Lobby Day at 10 AM to talk about his legislative efforts, which also include an bill aimed at tax relief for equity businesses.
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Cal NORML 50th Anniversary Specials for Businesses

Celebrate Cal NORML’s 50th Anniversary with These Specials:
Cal NORML is celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2022. We have been successfully advocating for the rights of cannabis consumers in California since we were founded in 1972. To celebrate, we’re offering business membership specials.
Help us keep up the momentum with our essential legislative campaigns like Employment Rights and Pain Patients Rights. Now is not the time to stop the fight!
Join Cal NORML as a business member and get a free listing in the Cannabis Marketplace on CaNORML.org.
Other membership benefits include a guest blog post on CaNORML.org, ability to sponsor our eblast and discounts on NCIA membership. Read about business membership here.
Sign up using this link by May 20th to receive $50 off your year membership.
Increase your support and expand your presence on CaNORML.org with a Banner Ad
Banner ads are available on all Cal NORML pages. See the list of the most popular placements here.
Sign up by May 20th and receive $50 off your first two months
Email today to reserve your spot!
For more information on how supporting Cal NORML supports your business, see our media kit.
Contact kharla@canorml.org or 707-337-9747 with questions or for assistance.
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Bills to Protect Cannabis Users’ Employment and Medical Rights Pass First Committees

It was a good 4/20 week for cannabis reform in California.
On 4/19, AB 1954 (Quirk), to prevent discrimination of pain patients and others by their doctors for using medical cannabis, passed the Assembly Business & Professions Committee by a bipartisan vote of 18-0. That bill now moves to the Appropriations committee. Watch the hearing (starts at: 1:45).
SEND A LETTER TO YOUR LAWMAKER: Allow Doctors to Treat Patients Who Use Medical Marijuana
And on 4/20, AB 2188 (Quirk), to grant employment rights to cannabis users in California, cleared the Assembly Labor & Employment committee with a vote of 5-2. Watch the hearing (starts at 1:21).
AB 2188 now moves to the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, 4/26 (starts at 8:30 AM).
SEND A LETTER TO YOUR LAWMAKER: Support Employment Rights for Cannabis Consumers in California
PAIN PATIENTS RIGHTS BILL
A bill by Asm. Bill Quirk (AB 1954) seeks to protect patients who use cannabis for medicine from being summarily denied treatment and medications for chronic pain and other conditions. The bill clarifies that the use of medicinal cannabis does not constitute the use of an illicit substance for the purpose of treatment evaluation. The bill also shields physicians from punitive consequences for treatment or prescription to qualified patients.
The bill is sponsored by California NORML and Americans for Safe Access on behalf of innumerable chronic pain patients who complain that their physicians or clinics have denied them treatment with prescription opioids for no other reason than using or testing positive for medical marijuana. In fact, however, numerous studies have found that medical cannabis can actually reduce dependence on opiates and other prescription drugs in chronic pain patients.
Medical cannabis patient/advocate Richard Miller, who suffers severe chronic pain from spinal injuries, testified for the bill (pictured). “AB 1954 is critically important for patients like me who need access to opioid therapy. Cannabis patients are being discriminated against and are often unable to treat their intractable pain,” said Miller. “This has become a public safety issue, as patients are resorting to purchasing opioids on the street, putting them at risk at a time when fentanyl overdoses are on the rise. Health care plans shouldn’t be putting doctors in the position of violating their oath to ‘do no harm.’”
Also testifying was Dr. Larry Bedard, who sponsored a 2019 resolution approved by the California Medical Association House of Delegates and Board of Trustees stating, “That CMA oppose policies of health plans, health systems, and hospitals that have pain management programs that automatically eliminate patients who use therapeutic cannabis.”
In support of AB 1954, Dr. Bedard states, “The National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine after reviewing 15,999 studies found ‘conclusive’ scientific evidence that cannabis is effective in treating chronic pain. More than 30 studies have demonstrated that patients with chronic pain decrease or eliminate their use and need for opioids like OxyContin.” State-sponsored studies at the California Center for Medical Cannabis Research at UC San Diego have also found cannabis to be a useful therapy, particularly for neuropathic pain.
In its 2016 guidelines for prescribing opiates for chronic pain, the Centers for Disease Control recommended that patients not be dismissed from care based on a urine test for THC because this could have adverse consequences for patient safety. Nonetheless, many health plans, health systems, and hospitals in California require patients to sign agreements not to use illicit or controlled substances for the duration of their prescribed opioid treatment and agree to drug testing.
An online survey by Cal NORML of nearly 600 patients found that 18.5% of respondents have been denied prescription medications due to their use of cannabis. Many physicians are under the mistaken impression that they cannot prescribe opioid medications to patients who test positive for cannabis, resulting in hundreds of chronic pain patients who are unfairly denied access to quality-of-life or life-saving medications.
“At least eight other states have laws protecting medical marijuana patients against discrimination by their doctors,” said Ellen Komp, Cal NORML deputy director. “It’s time Californians had the same protection.”
EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS FOR CANNABIS CONSUMERS
AB 2188 (Quirk) would end job discrimination based on cannabis metabolites testing.
Testing or threatening to test bodily fluids for cannabis metabolites is the most common way that employers harass and discriminate against employees who lawfully use cannabis in the privacy of their own homes. Cannabis metabolites are the non-psychoactive substances that can be detected in a person’s urine or hair for up to several weeks after they have consumed cannabis. Testing positive for cannabis metabolites has no scientific value in establishing that a person is impaired or “high.”
AB 2188 is consistent with a 2021 California State Personnel Board (SPB) ruling that the California Department of Transportation must reinstate an employee who failed a urine test for marijuana use, because such a test does not establish that an employee is under the influence of marijuana when reporting for duty.
Assembly Member Quirk’s bill does not prevent employers from ensuring that employees are not impaired on the job. It allows for other forms of testing, such as performance-based impairment testing or testing for THC—the active ingredient in marijuana—in blood or oral fluids. THC is present when users are actually impaired and can establish that a person has consumed cannabis in the past several hours. Oral fluid tests for THC are less invasive, less costly, and less susceptible to cheating than urine tests, and have been federally approved for workplace use by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services).
AB 2188 does not prohibit taking action against employees or prospective employees who test positive for THC or who fail a performance-based impairment test. It excludes employees in the construction trades, and has exemptions for employers who are required to follow federal drug-testing mandates.
Studies have shown that off-the-job cannabis use is not positively associated with elevated rates of occupational accidents or injuries, and that liberalized marijuana laws are associated greater labor participation, lower rates of absenteeism, declines in workers’ compensation filings, and higher wages.
“Urine testing is an odious invasion of workers’ privacy,” says California NORML Director Dale Gieringer. “Urine tests are too frequently misused to discriminate against unpopular workers and minorities. Studies have found that Blacks are more likely than Whites to be disciplined for failing drug tests.
“California has always been a leader in the cannabis industry, and we must lead once again by prohibiting discrimination against people who consume cannabis when they are off-the-job,” said Amber Baur, executive director, United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council. “Using an outdated test to determine workplace impairment does not increase workplace safety—it only causes employees to feel unsafe and harassed at work. We’re proud to support AB 2188 because it’s time for the law to keep up with science.”
“Our members and the people we care for live in communities most likely to be discriminated against for the legal consumption of cannabis. This practice must end,” said Doug Moore, Executive Director, UDW/AFSCME 3930.
Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer testified for the AB 2188, noting, “In effect, urine testing is like looking through an employees trash cans for liquor bottles to see what they’re doing off the job.” Pointing out that 20 other states have protections for medical and/or recreational cannabis users, Gieringer said it’s time California also protected its workers.
Jassy Grewal of the United Food and Commercial Workers also testified, saying, “An outdated and racially motivated metabolites test which is ineffective at detecting impairment is keeping many patients and workers are prohibited from using legal cannabis off the job.”
Other supporters include the CA Board of Registered Nursing, California Cannabis Industry Association, California Employment Lawyers Association, Cannabis Equity Policy Council, Drug Policy Alliance, Last Prisoner Project, Los Angeles Housing Compliance, Origins Council, and United Cannabis Business Association.
Speaking In opposition to the bill was Robert Moutrie of the Cal Chamber of Commerce who said, “We’re not opposed to oral swab testing [allowed under the bill] nor off-the-job [marijuana] use.” They are offering amendments, as is the state Building and Construction Trades.
Committee member Asm. Alex Lee summed it up well when he said, “On this day, when so many are celebrating 4/20, they should not be fearful of losing their job, especially for something that can linger in their system and not be related to impairment.”
Committee chair Asm. Ash Kalra closed the hearing by saying, “We have to destigmatize cannabis use, which started with prejudice. Ultimately, it’s about bringing equity in a space that allows workers to be free and not under the microscope for something they do in their own free time.” He ended by wishing Asm. Quirk a Happy 4/20.
SEND A LETTER TO YOUR LAWMAKER: Support Employment Rights for Cannabis Consumers in California

Please support Cal NORML’s efforts to in 2022! Click Here to Donate or here to join or renew your individual membership, or take advantage of our April business membership and banner ads specials below. You can also Sponsor Our Upcoming Lobby Day.
CAL NORML 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS (through 5/20).
Business Membership Special:
Join Cal NORML and grow your business
$450 for one-year business membership ($50 off)
Includes a listing on CaNORML.org and other multi-platform promotional benefits.
Banner Ad Special:
Increase your support and expand your presence on CaNORML.org
$50 off first two months of your banner ad on CaNORML.org — $100 savings
Reserve your targeted space by contacting kharla@canorml.org or 707-337-9747
The post Bills to Protect Cannabis Users’ Employment and Medical Rights Pass First Committees appeared first on CaNorml.org.

Sponsor Cal NORML’s 2022 Lobby Day – May 10 in Sacramento

BECOME A SPONSOR TODAY!
California NORML and Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and are pleased to announce the return of their annual Citizen Lobby Day, taking place May 10, 2022 in Sacramento, CA. Our members and coalition partners will host a lobby day and training in support of state legislation to better regulate cannabis and protect consumers in California.
The California Citizen Lobby Day offers an exciting and unique opportunity to reach out to the medical and adult-use cannabis community. Becoming a sponsor of the Citizen Lobby Day is an excellent way to maximize your visibility to full or targeted groups of conference attendees. We offer a variety of options to suit every budget and marketing strategy.
Becoming a sponsor is a great way to help Cal NORML and ASA get legislation passed that is beneficial to cannabis consumers and the cannabis industry. It is also a great way to position and brand your business or organization as one that is helping solve problems and move the cannabis issues forward.
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
• $5,000 Platinum
• $2,500 Gold
• $1000 Silver
• $500 Bronze
WHAT YOU GET
$500 Bronze
• Corporate Text listing in Lobby Day Materials
• Listed on the Lobby Day Website
• Thanked on Event Facebook page
• Corporate Materials on the Registration table
$1000 Silver
• All of the above, plus:
• Thanked on Cal NORML Twitter account (15K followers)
• One Cal NORML eblast sponsorship (35K followers)
$2,500 Gold
• All of the above, plus:
• One-year Business Marketplace listing on CaNORML.org
$5,000 Platinum
• All of the above, plus:
• One year banner ad on CaNORML.org; any page of your choice
If you have any questions or would like to become a sponsor, please email us.
BECOME A SPONSOR TODAY!
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2022 Cannabis Packaging Requirements in California

By Marijuana Packaging

With the new year ramping up and cannabis laws sometimes changing so fluidly, it’s crucial to ensure that your business is compliant with California cannabis law. Whether it’s distributing flowers, concentrates, or edibles, each item has its own set of requirements that marijuana businesses must adhere to; to avoid significant penalties.
To help keep you compliant with the weed laws in California, we’ve come up with a survival guide below to help navigate through all the state’s requirements so your business can continue to thrive.
Keep Out of Children’s Reach
Since marijuana’s legalization in 2016, child-resistant packaging has been one of the main centerpieces in California cannabis law. Your business must carry marijuana packaging that is difficult for five-year-olds and under to open in a lab environment.
Having cannabis packaging in California that is child-resistant and tamper-evident are the two main pillars of California cannabis regulations. Child-resistant packaging, whether it’s custom packaging or not, needs to meet the formal requirements for child-resistant packaging in California to ensure continued operation.
Tamper-Evident Is Key
Regardless of whether your marijuana business distributes edibles, concentrates, or any cannabis flower, it must be tamper-evident to where it’s visible if the package has been opened. You must protect manufactured cannabis products from contamination and damaging exposure to harmful substances with packaging that’s tamper-evident, child-resistant, and certified by third parties approved by the Department of Cannabis Control.
You never want to find out that your cannabis packaging is not complicit with weed laws in California; it’s a hefty fine that no store owner wants to pay if they can avoid it from happening. Having tamper-evident packaging is vital for staying complicit within the state of California and staying away from penalties like exorbitant fines.

Put A Label on It!
It’s not enough to simply have quality cannabis packaging in California that’s child-resistant and tamper-evident. Under California cannabis law, cannabis labels are divided into primary and information panels.
Proper cannabis label compliance consists of the primary panel being visible and explicitly showing the most essential information on the top or the front of the packaging.
In contrast, the information panel must be located on the back of the packaging or anywhere else that’s easily visible. The information panel contains required information that isn’t required to be on the front and center of your packaging.
When you’re distributing marijuana flowers or edibles, proper labeling is integral for ensuring that your company is in line with California packaging requirements. Proper labeling is most important for edibles that are considered potent upon consumption. It is required to have a CA weed warning label on all exit bags and containers when distributing cannabis products.

Manufactured Cannabis Product Requirements
Manufactured cannabis products typically consist of edibles (cookies, gummies, beverages, etc.), concentrates (wax, hash, shatter, etc.), vape oils, capsules, tinctures, and many other cannabis-based items. With California edibles packaging, you must apply the proper California marijuana labels on the packaging in a visible spot for your customers to see. To stray away from hefty fines from the state, following these cannabis packaging requirements will ensure you’re fully protected.
Other Packaging Requirements
There are a few more small details that your business should know before designing any cannabis packaging or custom weed bags. It’s essential to keep in mind that when creating packaging compliant with California’s weed laws.
Labels
When it comes to labeling, you want to ensure that you adhere to all state requirements. Cannabis product packaging cannot be designed to appeal to children, and all print must be clear and legible. Labels must be printed in 6pt. font and must be visible on the outer layering of the cannabis packaging.
You can use peel-back labels or inserts on small marijuana packaging that can’t fit all the critical information on the front. However, all required information appears plainly on the package, and it’s insufficient to direct buyers to a website.
The California Department of Public Health also prohibits county names from being included on the packaging unless the products were 100% cultivated in that county. Pictures of the product, misleading information, and unproven health claims are strictly prohibited.

Cannabis Waste Labeling Requirements
It’s not enough to simply have your marijuana packaging adhering to cannabis packaging regulations. California has specific labeling requirements for disposing of certain types of marijuana waste. These requirements apply to anyone that grows, packages, processes, sells, or distributes cannabis in a licensed commercial capacity.
Over the past decade through CalRecycle, there have been extensive series of workshops and meetings with industry stakeholders on reducing the landfilling of all types of packaging materials. There are no harsh regulations for how organic marijuana waste, such as plant material, must be labeled, separated, and distinguished from regular waste products.
Labeling your receptacle also helps differentiate your marijuana waste and ensures accurate weighing and tracing. Many marijuana companies have begun transitioning from single-use packaging with recyclable exit bags, biodegradable pop-tops, and a slew of other recyclable packaging options.

Staying Compliant Checklist
To make sure that your marijuana business is staying compliant with the California labeling requirements, it helps to keep a checklist of everything to satisfy all Prop 64 packaging regulations:

Working with a credible marijuana packaging provider
Order rolls of Prop 65 warning stickers to complement your company’s labels (if the label already doesn’t show the required warning)
Order rolls of state-compliant labels that you can fill out yourself (if you can’t afford the first option)
Have a reputable and knowledgeable legal representative review your packaging for any mistakes

Most importantly, when it comes to marijuana packaging, the most beneficial thing you can do for your business is work with a seasoned waste management provider. The marijuana packaging and labeling requirements fluidly evolve, so it pays to ensure that you’re up to date on all the current requirements needed to successfully package your cannabis without facing hefty fines from the state.
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