Newsom signs bill creating single cannabis agency
It’s the season for bill signing. California Gov. Gavin Newsom already approved dozens of pieces of legislation as they reach his desk for a final signature.
One that could prove helpful to Humboldt County residents in the cannabis industry is the approval of Assembly Bill 141, which consolidates state cannabis agencies into one. The new Department of Cannabis Control will regulate cannabis license holders including “cultivators, retailers, manufacturers, distributors, testing laboratories, microbusinesses, and industry event organizers,” a news release from the state announced. It will also manage the state’s track-andtrace system, which tracks cannabis products from seeds to sale.
“California has led the nation in progressive cannabis policies, beginning 25 years ago as the first state in the nation to legalize medicinal use of cannabis,” said Newsom in a prepared statement. “We’ve taken another significant step forward to fulfill the opportunities of legalization and better serve all Californians. We will continue building upon our efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive industry, protect consumer and public safety, safeguard our environment and advance economic opportunity for small businesses.”
The Humboldt County Growers Alliance is taking a wait-and-see approach to the consolidation.
“From our perspective, whether agency consolidation will be helpful will come down to implementation,” Ross Gordon, the policy director for HCGA, told the Times-standard. “Most importantly, we’ll be watching the regulations that the new department comes out with to see if they address some of the most significant challenges that farmers face, like track-and-trace rules and the ability to freely share cannabis genetics.”
He also lauded the legislation for opening up “trade samples,” which will be beneficial for local small farmers.
“Beyond agency consolidation, we were very happy to see that AB 141 establishes a legal pathway for business-to-business trade samples for small cannabis farmers and manufacturers. Having access to trade samples will help craft farmers build faceto-face relationships with dispensaries across California and compete with larger, vertically integrated brands,” he said.
A companion bill SB 160 was also signed by the governor. The law makes some changes to the state cannabis rules, including delaying until January 2022 the process to create appellation of origin provisions for geographical areas of the state.
The bill also extends the amount of time the state can issue provisional licenses to cultivators if certain conditions are met.
Other legislation that has passed the Legislature and gained the governor’s approval include:
Assembly Bill 819: This bill by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-marin County) streamlines to California Environmental Quality Act process.in development projects.
“Modernizing CEQA has been politically challenging, but streamlining the filing process while increasing public access is something everyone can agree on,” said Levine in a prepared statement. “Paper filing and standard mail requests of CEQA documents is outdated and cumbersome — it inhibits public access, is expensive and limits public input in development and infrastructure projects. AB 819 brings CEQA into the 21st century and will make it easier for the public to understand and engage with project proponents and their government on the environmental impacts of projects across California.”
Senate Bill 254: This new law, authored by Sen. Andreas Borgeas (R-fresno), recognizes Sept. 11 Remembrance Day in public schools.
“When September 11th Remembrance Day falls on a school day, each public elementary and secondary
school is encouraged to observe a moment of silence at an appropriate time while school is in session,” the bill states.