Bill Text: CA AB710 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Cannabidiol.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-07-09 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 62, Statutes of 2018. [AB710 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB710-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  January 18, 2018

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 27, 2017

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 27, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 710

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Introduced by Assembly Member Wood

February 15, 2017

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An act to amend Section 101.7 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions and vocations. An act to add Section 26002 to the Business and Professions Code, and to add Section 11150.2 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to controlled substances, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 710, as amended, Wood. Department of Consumer Affairs: boards: meetings. Cannabidiol.

Existing law, the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, classifies controlled substances into 5 designated schedules, with the most restrictive limitations generally placed on controlled substances classified in Schedule I, and the least restrictive limitations generally placed on controlled substances classified in Schedule V. Existing law designates cannabis in Schedule I. Cannabidiol is a compound contained in cannabis.

Existing law restricts the prescription, furnishing, possession, sale, and use of controlled substances, including cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid compounds, and makes a violation of those laws a crime, except as specified.

This bill, if one of specified changes in federal law regarding the controlled substance cannabidiol occurs, would deem a physician, pharmacist, or other authorized healing arts licensee who prescribes, furnishes, or dispenses a product composed of cannabidiol, in accordance with federal law, to be in compliance with state law governing those acts. The bill would also provide that upon the effective date of one of those changes in federal law regarding cannabidiol, the prescription, furnishing, dispensing, transfer, transportation, possession, or use of that product in accordance with federal law is for a legitimate medical purpose and is authorized pursuant to state law.

Existing law, the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, regulates the cultivation, processing, and sale of medicinal and adult-use cannabis within the state.

This bill would expressly exclude from regulation under that act, any medicinal product composed of cannabidiol approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and either placed on a schedule of the federal Controlled Substances Act other than Schedule I, or exempted from one or more provisions of that act.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law generally requires these boards to meet at least 3 times each calendar year, and at least once in northern California and once in southern California per calendar year.

This bill would require a board to meet once every other calendar year in rural California.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY2/3   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares that both children and adults with epilepsy are in desperate need of new treatment options and that cannabidiol has shown potential as an effective treatments option. If federal laws prohibiting the prescription of medications composed of cannabidiol are repealed or if an exception from the general prohibition is enacted permitting the prescription of drugs composed of cannabidiol, patients should have rapid access to this treatment option. The availability of this new prescription medication is intended to augment, not to restrict or otherwise amend, other cannabinoid treatment modalities currently available under state law.

SEC. 2.

 Section 26002 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

26002.

 This division shall not apply to any product containing cannabidiol that has been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration that has either been placed on a schedule of the federal Controlled Substances Act other than Schedule I or has been exempted from one or more provisions of that act, and that is intended for prescribed use for the treatment of a medical condition.

SEC. 3.

 Section 11150.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

11150.2.

 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, if cannabidiol is excluded from Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act and placed on a schedule of the act other than Schedule I, or if a product composed of cannabidiol is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and either placed on a schedule of the act other than Schedule I, or exempted from one or more provisions of the act, so as to permit a physician, pharmacist, or other authorized healing arts licensee acting within his or her scope of practice, to prescribe, furnish, or dispense that product, the physician, pharmacist, or other authorized healing arts licensee who prescribes, furnishes, or dispenses that product in accordance with federal law shall be deemed to be in compliance with state law governing those acts.

(b) For purposes of this chapter, upon the effective date of one of the changes in federal law described in subdivision (a), notwithstanding any other state law, a product composed of cannabidiol may be prescribed, furnished, dispensed, transferred, transported, possessed, or used in accordance with federal law and is authorized pursuant to state law.

SEC. 4.

 This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to ensure that patients are able to obtain access to a new treatment modality as soon as federal law makes it available, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.

SECTION 1.Section 101.7 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

101.7.

(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, boards shall meet at least three times each calendar year. Boards shall meet at least once each calendar year in northern California, once every other calendar year in rural California, and once each calendar year in southern California in order to facilitate participation by the public and its licensees.

(b)The director at his or her discretion may exempt any board from the requirement in subdivision (a) upon a showing of good cause that the board is not able to meet at least three times in a calendar year.

(c)The director may call for a special meeting of the board when a board is not fulfilling its duties.

(d)An agency within the department that is required to provide a written notice pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11125 of the Government Code, may provide that notice by regular mail, email, or by both regular mail and email. An agency shall give a person who requests a notice the option of receiving the notice by regular mail, email, or by both regular mail and email. The agency shall comply with the requester’s chosen form or forms of notice.

(e)An agency that plans to Web cast a meeting shall include in the meeting notice required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11125 of the Government Code a statement of the board’s intent to Web cast the meeting. An agency may Web cast a meeting even if the agency fails to include that statement of intent in the notice.