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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

Los Angeles

San Diego

San Jose

San Francisco

Fresno

References