California
Regulatory Framework
The primary agency regulating adult-use cannabis in California is the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) [1]. DCC is led by a Director who is appointed by the governor and approved by the state senate. The department also houses a Cannabis Advisory Committee page [2]. The DCC operates under the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency [3].
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) administers the Cannabis Appellations Program (CAP) to "help prevent the misrepresentation of a cannabis goods origin and promote regional collaboration around cannabis production," as well as the OCal Certification Program, the state's comparable-to-organic standard [4].
The Secretary of State maintains the Cannabizfile page, an online portal for all information relevant to cannabis-related business and trademark filings [5].
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration posts quarterly cannabis tax revenue information. [6]
Legal Status
Market | Status |
---|---|
Adult-Use | Legal |
Medical | Legal |
Homegrow | Legal for those 21+ up to 6 plants, also growers "cannot use volatile solvents like butane or propane" and local governments can pass further restrictions, "such as permit requirements or requiring grows to be indoors." [7] |
Track-and-Trace
California employs the California Cannabis Track-and-Trace (CCTT) system, which utilizes METRC software and unique identifiers (UIDs) to monitor cannabis product movement through the licensed commercial distribution chain [8].
The DCC maintains four data dashboards to transform raw data from licensing and track-and-trace systems into valuable insights [9].
Licensing
License Type | Description | |
---|---|---|
Cultivation | Growing cannabis | |
Distribution | Transporting cannabis | |
Manufacturing | Making cannabis products | |
Testing Laboratory | Testing cannabis or cannabis products | |
Retail | Selling cannabis | |
Event Organizer | Holding events where cannabis will be sold | [10] |
Possession Limits
Item | Possession Limit | |
---|---|---|
Cannabis flower | 28.5 grams | |
Concentrated cannabis | 8 grams | [11] |
Medical Cannabis
Patients with a doctor's recommendation for medical cannabis can obtain it from licensed dispensaries. Alternatively, they can apply for a registry ID card through the California Department of Public Health's Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program (MMICP). To qualify for an MMICP, patients must have a qualifying medical condition as defined by Senate Bill 94 (Chapter 27, Statutes of 2017) [12].
Additional Resources
- Wikpedia: Cannabis in California: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_California
- California Department of Cannabis Control: https://cannabis.ca.gov/
- California Department of Public Health - MMICP: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/MMICP.aspx
Los Angeles
- City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation: https://cannabis.lacity.gov/
- Los Angeles County Consumer & Business Affairs - Office of Cannabis Management: https://dcba.lacounty.gov/cannabis/
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - Cannabis Compliance & Enforcement Program: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/business/cannabis.htm
San Diego
- City of San Diego Development Services - Cannabis Information: https://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/cannabis
- San Diego County Socially Equitable Cannabis Program: https://engage.sandiegocounty.gov/hub-page/cannabis-program
- San Diego County Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/mmic.html
San Jose
- San Jose Police Department Division of Cannabis Regulation: https://www.sjpd.org/about-us/organization/chief-executive-officer/cannabis-regulation
- Santa Clara County Public Health - Medical Marijuana Program: https://publichealth.sccgov.org/services/medical-marijuana
San Francisco
- City and County of San Francisco Office Of Cannabis: https://www.sf.gov/departments/office-cannabis
Fresno
- City of Fresno Office of Cannabis Oversight: https://www.fresno.gov/citymanager/office-of-cannabis-oversight/
- Fresno County Department of Public Health - Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program: https://www.fresnocountyca.gov/Departments/Public-Health/Epidemiology-Surveillance-and-Data-Management/Medical-Marijuana-Identification-Card-Program
References
- [1] Cannabis | California Cannabis Portal,https://cannabis.ca.gov/. (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [2] Cannabis Advisory Committee, California Department of Cannabis Control. https://cannabis.ca.gov/about-us/cannabis-advisory-committee/ (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [3] "About BCSH, California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. https://bcsh.ca.gov/about/index.html (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [4] OCal Cannabis Certification Program, California Department of Food and Agriculture. https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ocal.html (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [5] Secretary of States Role in Starting a Cannabis Business," California Secretary of State. https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/cannabizfile/secretary-states-role-starting-cannabis-business (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [6] Open Data Portal, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/dataportal/dataset.htm?url=CannabisTaxRevenues (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [7] "What's Legal," California Department of Cannabis Control. https://cannabis.ca.gov/consumers/whats-legal/ (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [8] California Cannabis Track-and-Trace System. Available: https://cannabis.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/Track-and-Trace_System_5-Steps.pdf (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [9] Data dashboards, California Department of Cannabis Control. https://cannabis.ca.gov/resources/data-dashboard/ (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [10] License types, California Department of Cannabis Control. https://cannabis.ca.gov/applicants/license-types/ (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [11] Law section, California State Legislature. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11357.&lawCode=HSC (Accessed June 26, 2024).
- [12] Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program - FAQs, California Department of Public Health. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/MMICP-FAQs.aspx (Accessed July 8, 2024).