Bill Text: CA AB3261 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Cannabis.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-09-20 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 599, Statutes of 2018. [AB3261 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB3261-Introduced.html


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 3261


Introduced by Committee on Business and Professions (Assembly Members Low (Chair), Brough (Vice Chair), Arambula, Baker, Bloom, Chiu, Eggman, Gipson, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Mullin, Steinorth, and Ting)

April 02, 2018


An act to amend Sections 26001, 26067, 26068, 26161, and 26211 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to cannabis.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 3261, as introduced, Committee on Business and Professions. Cannabis.
The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016 (AUMA), an initiative measure approved as Proposition 64 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, authorizes a person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA), among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities.
MAUCRSA defines various terms for purposes of the act.
This bill would define “microbusiness” for purposes of the act.
MAUCRSA requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the Bureau of Cannabis Control, to establish a track and trace program for reporting the movement of cannabis and cannabis products throughout the distribution chain that utilizes a unique identifier to be issued for each cannabis plant. MAUCRSA requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the State Board of Equalization, to ensure that the track and trace program can track and trace the amount of the cannabis cultivation tax imposed by AUMA and to create an electronic database containing the electronic shipping manifests to facilitate the administration of the track and trace program.
Existing law, on July 1, 2017, transferred to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration the various duties, powers, and responsibilities of the State Board of Equalization except for those duties, powers, and responsibilities imposed or conferred upon the board by the California Constitution, as specified. That transfer of duties, powers, and responsibilities includes the administration of the cannabis excise tax and cannabis cultivation tax.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive, conforming change to MAUCRSA to reflect the transfer of duties, powers, and responsibilities of the board to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 26001 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

26001.
 For purposes of this division, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) “A-license” means a state license issued under this division for cannabis or cannabis products that are intended for adults who are 21 years of age and older and who do not possess a physician’s recommendation.
(b) “A-licensee” means any person holding a license under this division for cannabis or cannabis products that are intended for adults who are 21 years of age and older and who do not possess a physician’s recommendation.
(c) “Applicant” means an owner applying for a state license pursuant to this division.
(d) “Batch” means a specific quantity of homogeneous cannabis or cannabis product that is one of the following types:
(1) Harvest batch. “Harvest batch” means a specifically identified quantity of dried flower or trim, leaves, and other cannabis plant matter that is uniform in strain, harvested at the same time, and, if applicable, cultivated using the same pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, and harvested at the same time.
(2) Manufactured cannabis batch. “Manufactured cannabis batch” means either of the following:
(A) An amount of cannabis concentrate or extract that is produced in one production cycle using the same extraction methods and standard operating procedures.
(B) An amount of a type of manufactured cannabis produced in one production cycle using the same formulation and standard operating procedures.
(e) “Bureau” means the Bureau of Cannabis Control within the Department of Consumer Affairs, formerly named the Bureau of Marijuana Control, the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation, and the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation.
(f) “Cannabis” means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa Linnaeus, Cannabis indica, or Cannabis ruderalis, whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin, whether crude or purified, extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds, or resin. “Cannabis” also means the separated resin, whether crude or purified, obtained from cannabis. “Cannabis” does not include the mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of the plant which is incapable of germination. For the purpose of this division, “cannabis” does not mean “industrial hemp” as defined by Section 11018.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
(g) “Cannabis accessories” has the same meaning as in Section 11018.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(h) “Cannabis concentrate” means cannabis that has undergone a process to concentrate one or more active cannabinoids, thereby increasing the product’s potency. Resin from granular trichomes from a cannabis plant is a concentrate for purposes of this division. A cannabis concentrate is not considered food, as defined by Section 109935 of the Health and Safety Code, or a drug, as defined by Section 109925 of the Health and Safety Code.
(i) “Cannabis products” has the same meaning as in Section 11018.1 of the Health and Safety Code.
(j) “Child resistant” means designed or constructed to be significantly difficult for children under five years of age to open, and not difficult for normal adults to use properly.
(k) “Commercial cannabis activity” includes the cultivation, possession, manufacture, distribution, processing, storing, laboratory testing, packaging, labeling, transportation, delivery or sale of cannabis and cannabis products as provided for in this division.
(l) “Cultivation” means any activity involving the planting, growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading, or trimming of cannabis.
(m) “Cultivation site” means a location where cannabis is planted, grown, harvested, dried, cured, graded, or trimmed, or a location where any combination of those activities occurs.
(n) “Customer” means a natural person 21 years of age or older or a natural person 18 years of age or older who possesses a physician’s recommendation, or a primary caregiver.
(o) “Day care center” has the same meaning as in Section 1596.76 of the Health and Safety Code.
(p) “Delivery” means the commercial transfer of cannabis or cannabis products to a customer. “Delivery” also includes the use by a retailer of any technology platform.
(q) “Director” means the Director of Consumer Affairs.
(r) “Distribution” means the procurement, sale, and transport of cannabis and cannabis products between licensees.
(s) “Dried flower” means all dead cannabis that has been harvested, dried, cured, or otherwise processed, excluding leaves and stems.
(t) “Edible cannabis product” means cannabis product that is intended to be used, in whole or in part, for human consumption, including, but not limited to, chewing gum, but excluding products set forth in Division 15 (commencing with Section 32501) of the Food and Agricultural Code. An edible cannabis product is not considered food, as defined by Section 109935 of the Health and Safety Code, or a drug, as defined by Section 109925 of the Health and Safety Code.
(u) “Fund” means the Cannabis Control Fund established pursuant to Section 26210.
(v) “Kind” means applicable type or designation regarding a particular cannabis variant or cannabis product type, including, but not limited to, strain name or other grower trademark, or growing area designation.
(w) “Labeling” means any label or other written, printed, or graphic matter upon a cannabis product, upon its container or wrapper, or that accompanies any cannabis product.
(x) “Labor peace agreement” means an agreement between a licensee and any bona fide labor organization that, at a minimum, protects the state’s proprietary interests by prohibiting labor organizations and members from engaging in picketing, work stoppages, boycotts, and any other economic interference with the applicant’s business. This agreement means that the applicant has agreed not to disrupt efforts by the bona fide labor organization to communicate with, and attempt to organize and represent, the applicant’s employees. The agreement shall provide a bona fide labor organization access at reasonable times to areas in which the applicant’s employees work, for the purpose of meeting with employees to discuss their right to representation, employment rights under state law, and terms and conditions of employment. This type of agreement shall not mandate a particular method of election or certification of the bona fide labor organization.
(y) “License” means a state license issued under this division, and includes both an A-license and an M-license, as well as a testing laboratory license.
(z) “Licensee” means any person holding a license under this division, regardless of whether the license held is an A-license or an M-license, and includes the holder of a testing laboratory license.
(aa) “Licensing authority” means the state agency responsible for the issuance, renewal, or reinstatement of the license, or the state agency authorized to take disciplinary action against the licensee.
(ab) “Live plants” means living cannabis flowers and plants, including seeds, immature plants, and vegetative stage plants.
(ac) “Local jurisdiction” means a city, county, or city and county.
(ad) “Lot” means a batch or a specifically identified portion of a batch.
(ae) “M-license” means a state license issued under this division for commercial cannabis activity involving medicinal cannabis.
(af) “M-licensee” means any person holding a license under this division for commercial cannabis activity involving medicinal cannabis.
(ag) “Manufacture” means to compound, blend, extract, infuse, or otherwise make or prepare a cannabis product.
(ah) “Manufacturer” means a licensee that conducts the production, preparation, propagation, or compounding of cannabis or cannabis products either directly or indirectly or by extraction methods, or independently by means of chemical synthesis, or by a combination of extraction and chemical synthesis at a fixed location that packages or repackages cannabis or cannabis products or labels or relabels its container.
(ai) “Medicinal cannabis” or “medicinal cannabis product” means cannabis or a cannabis product, respectively, intended to be sold for use pursuant to the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (Proposition 215), found at Section 11362.5 of the Health and Safety Code, by a medicinal cannabis patient in California who possesses a physician’s recommendation.
(aj) “Microbusiness” means a person holding a license issued under paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 26070.

(aj)

(ak) “Nursery” means a licensee that produces only clones, immature plants, seeds, and other agricultural products used specifically for the propagation and cultivation of cannabis.

(ak)

(al) “Operation” means any act for which licensure is required under the provisions of this division, or any commercial transfer of cannabis or cannabis products.

(al)

(am) “Owner” means any of the following:
(1) A person with an aggregate ownership interest of 20 percent or more in the person applying for a license or a licensee, unless the interest is solely a security, lien, or encumbrance.
(2) The chief executive officer of a nonprofit or other entity.
(3) A member of the board of directors of a nonprofit.
(4) An individual who will be participating in the direction, control, or management of the person applying for a license.

(am)

(an) “Package” means any container or receptacle used for holding cannabis or cannabis products.

(an)

(ao) “Person” includes any individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, limited liability company, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, syndicate, or any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the plural as well as the singular.

(ao)

(ap) “Physician’s recommendation” means a recommendation by a physician and surgeon that a patient use cannabis provided in accordance with the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (Proposition 215), found at Section 11362.5 of the Health and Safety Code.

(ap)

(aq) “Premises” means the designated structure or structures and land specified in the application that is owned, leased, or otherwise held under the control of the applicant or licensee where the commercial cannabis activity will be or is conducted. The premises shall be a contiguous area and shall only be occupied by one licensee.

(aq)

(ar) “Primary caregiver” has the same meaning as in Section 11362.7 of the Health and Safety Code.

(ar)

(as) “Purchaser” means the customer who is engaged in a transaction with a licensee for purposes of obtaining cannabis or cannabis products.

(as)

(at) “Sell,” “sale,” and “to sell” include any transaction whereby, for any consideration, title to cannabis or cannabis products is transferred from one person to another, and includes the delivery of cannabis or cannabis products pursuant to an order placed for the purchase of the same and soliciting or receiving an order for the same, but does not include the return of cannabis or cannabis products by a licensee to the licensee from whom the cannabis or cannabis product was purchased.

(at)

(au) “Testing laboratory” means a laboratory, facility, or entity in the state that offers or performs tests of cannabis or cannabis products and that is both of the following:
(1) Accredited by an accrediting body that is independent from all other persons involved in commercial cannabis activity in the state.
(2) Licensed by the bureau.

(au)

(av) “Unique identifier” means an alphanumeric code or designation used for reference to a specific plant on a licensed premises and any cannabis or cannabis product derived or manufactured from that plant.

(av)

(aw) “Youth center” has the same meaning as in Section 11353.1 of the Health and Safety Code.

SEC. 2.

 Section 26067 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

26067.
 (a) The department, in consultation with the bureau, shall establish a track and trace program for reporting the movement of cannabis and cannabis products throughout the distribution chain that utilizes a unique identifier pursuant to Section 26069, secure packaging, and is capable of providing information that captures, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) The licensee receiving the product.
(2) The transaction date.
(3) The cultivator from which the product originates, including the associated unique identifier pursuant to Section 26069.
(b) (1) The department, in consultation with the State Board of Equalization, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, shall create an electronic database containing the electronic shipping manifests to facilitate the administration of the track and trace program, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(A) The variety and quantity or weight of products shipped.
(B) The estimated times of departure and arrival.
(C) The variety and quantity or weight of products received.
(D) The actual time of departure and arrival.
(E) A categorization of the product.
(F) The license number and the unique identifier pursuant to Section 26069 issued by the licensing authority for all licensees involved in the shipping process, including, but not limited to, cultivators, manufacturers, distributors, and dispensaries.
(2) (A) The database shall be designed to flag irregularities for all licensing authorities in this division to investigate. All licensing authorities pursuant to this division may access the database and share information related to licensees under this chapter, including social security and individual taxpayer identifications notwithstanding Section 30.
(B) The department shall immediately inform the bureau upon the finding of an irregularity or suspicious finding related to a licensee, applicant, or commercial cannabis activity for investigatory purposes.
(3) Licensing authorities and state and local agencies may, at any time, inspect shipments and request documentation for current inventory.
(4) The bureau shall have 24-hour access to the electronic database administered by the department. The State Board of Equalization California Department of Tax and Fee Administration shall have read access to the electronic database for the purpose of taxation and regulation of cannabis and cannabis products.
(5) The department shall be authorized to enter into memoranda of understandings with licensing authorities for data sharing purposes, as deemed necessary by the department.
(6) Information received and contained in records kept by the department or licensing authorities for the purposes of administering this chapter are confidential and shall not be disclosed pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), except as necessary for authorized employees of the State of California or any city, county, or city and county to perform official duties pursuant to this division or a local ordinance.
(7) Upon the request of a state or local law enforcement agency, licensing authorities shall allow access to or provide information contained within the database to assist law enforcement in their duties and responsibilities pursuant to this division.

SEC. 3.

 Section 26068 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

26068.
 (a) The department, in consultation with the bureau and the State Board of Equalization, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, shall ensure that the track and trace program can also track and trace the amount of the cultivation tax due pursuant to Part 14.5 (commencing with Section 34010) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. The track and trace program shall include an electronic seed to sale software tracking system with data points for the different stages of commercial activity, including, but not limited to, cultivation, harvest, processing, distribution, inventory, and sale.
(b) The department, in consultation with the bureau, shall ensure that licensees under this division are allowed to use third-party applications, programs, and information technology systems to comply with the requirements of the expanded track and trace program described in subdivision (a) to report the movement of cannabis and cannabis products throughout the distribution chain and communicate the information to licensing agencies as required by law.
(c) Any software, database, or other information technology system utilized by the department to implement the expanded track and trace program shall support interoperability with third-party cannabis business software applications and allow all licensee-facing system activities to be performed through a secure application programming interface (API) or comparable technology that is well documented, bi-directional, and accessible to any third-party application that has been validated and has appropriate credentials. The API or comparable technology shall have version control and provide adequate notice of updates to third-party applications. The system should provide a test environment for third-party applications to access that mirrors the production environment.

SEC. 4.

 Section 26161 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

26161.
 (a) Every sale or transport of cannabis or cannabis products from one licensee to another licensee must be recorded on a sales invoice or receipt. Sales invoices and receipts may be maintained electronically and must be filed in such manner as to be readily accessible for examination by employees of the licensing authorities or State Board of Equalization California Department of Tax and Fee Administration and shall not be commingled with invoices covering other commodities.
(b) Each sales invoice required by subdivision (a) shall include the name and address of the seller and shall include the following information:
(1) Name and address of the purchaser.
(2) Date of sale and invoice number.
(3) Kind, quantity, size, and capacity of packages of cannabis or cannabis products sold.
(4) The cost to the purchaser, together with any discount applied to the price as shown on the invoice.
(5) The place from which transport of the cannabis or cannabis product was made unless transport was made from the premises of the licensee.
(6) Any other information specified by the licensing authority.

SEC. 5.

 Section 26211 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

26211.
 (a) Funds for the initial establishment and support of the regulatory activities under this division, including the public information program described in subdivision (c), and for the activities of the State Board of Equalization under Part 14.5 (commencing with Section 34010) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code until July 1, 2017, or until the 2017 Budget Act is enacted, whichever occurs later, shall be advanced from the General Fund and shall be repaid by the initial proceeds from fees collected pursuant to this division, any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this division, or revenues collected from the tax imposed by Sections 34011 and 34012 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, by January 1, 2025.
(1) Funds advanced pursuant to this subdivision shall be appropriated to the bureau, which shall distribute the moneys to the appropriate licensing authorities, as necessary to implement the provisions of this division, and to the State Board of Equalization, as necessary, to implement the provisions of Part 14.5 (commencing with Section 34010) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(2) Within 45 days of November 9, 2016, the date this section became operative:
(A) The Director of Finance shall determine an amount of the initial advance from the General Fund to the Cannabis Control Fund that does not exceed thirty million dollars ($30,000,000); and
(B) There shall be advanced a sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) from the General Fund to the State Department of Health Care Services to provide for the public information program described in subdivision (c).
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the Legislature shall provide sufficient funds to the Cannabis Control Fund to support the activities of the bureau, state licensing authorities under this division, and the State Board of Equalization California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to support its activities under Part 14.5 (commencing with Section 34010) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. It is anticipated that this funding will be provided annually beginning on July 1, 2017.
(c) The State Department of Health Care Services shall establish and implement a public information program no later than September 1, 2017. This public information program shall, at a minimum, describe the provisions of the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016, the scientific basis for restricting access of cannabis and cannabis products to persons under the age of 21 years, describe the penalties for providing access to cannabis and cannabis products to persons under the age of 21 years, provide information regarding the dangers of driving a motor vehicle, boat, vessel, aircraft, or other vehicle used for transportation while impaired from cannabis use, the potential harms of using cannabis while pregnant or breastfeeding, and the potential harms of overusing cannabis or cannabis products.

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