California’s Governor Gavin Newsom Signs 10 Cannabis Bills Into Law

​California’s Governor Gavin Newsom announced in a press release on Sunday that he has now officially signed into law ten new cannabis measures to, among other things, protect employee rights, expand the legal cannabis market, and redress the harms of cannabis prohibition.

Though the state has made significant progress since the legalization of cannabis, local opposition, rigid bureaucracy and federal prohibition continue to pose challenges to the industry and consumers.

Governor Newsom said, “These measures build on the important strides our state has made toward this goal, but much work remains to build an equitable, safe and sustainable legal cannabis industry. I look forward to partnering with the Legislature and policymakers to fully realize cannabis legalization in communities across California.”

• Measure AB 2188 will go into effect on in January 2024, and will protect Californians from employment discrimination or penalties based on knowledge of their use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace, or based on drug tests showing positive for cannabis metabolites. The bill would exempt certain applicants and employees, such as those in the building and construction trades, or in positions requiring a federal background investigation or clearance, and more.
  
  
• SB 1326 will authorize the Governor to enter into agreements with other states to authorize interstate cannabis commerce. The new law specifies that once states are able to receive official assurance that they would not be federally interfered with for such actions, they could then begin interstate trading.
  
  
• SB 1186 will prohibit local municipalities from banning medical cannabis deliveries in their areas. Advocates say this will both improve patient access and help fill voids throughout the state where no cannabis license types have been authorized.
  
  
• AB 1706 was designed to work towards un-doing the damage of the failed ‘war on drugs’. State courts will now have until March 1, 2023 to get all eligible past cannabis conviction records sealed.
  
  
• AB 1885 amends state law to authorize cannabis products for animals, and protect veterinarians who issue cannabis recommendations for pets. The measure also revises labeling and advertising rules for marijuana vaporizers.
  

The remaining cannabis measures signed into law were regarding cannabis beverage packaging, tax spending reports, insurance providers, and temporary event licenses.

​For the text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

---