We have compiled some of the most relevant laws, regulations, and resources for our clients in the cannabis and medical marijuana industry. Nothing in these links is intended to convey legal advice. Please contact our office to schedule an appointment to discuss your specific needs and to learn more about the various marijuana laws, regulations and ordinances throughout California.
California has been through several iterations of regulations adopted to see that the goals of MAUCRSA are realized. As of October 2021, the three former agencies overseeing commercial cannabis activities in California have been consolidated and emergency regulations adopted.
Below you will find pdf versions of the prior regulations, as well as the current regulations.
Department of Cannabis Control: regulates all commercial cannabis activities
2021 Consoludated Regulations CannabisCorpLaw.com 714.676.2035
Bureau of Cannabis Control: regulates retail (store front and delivery services), distribution, microbusinesses, testing laboratories and events.
BCC Permanent Regulations – RELEASED DECEMBER 7, 2018
BCC Final Statement of Reasons for Permanent Regulations – RELEASED DECEMBER 7, 2018
CalCannabis (Cultivation, Nursuries and Seeds):
CalCannabis Permanent Regulations – RELEASED DECEMBER 7, 2018
CalCannabis Final Statement of Reasons for Permanent Regulations – RELEASED DECEMBER 7, 2018
Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch – California Department of Public Health: regulates cannabis products such as edibles, oils, wax, budder, shatter, concentrates, isolates, distillates and tinctures.
Manufactured Cannabis Proposed Revised Permanent Regulations – RELEASED DECEMBER 7, 2018
Definitions for the Cannabis and Medical Marijuana Industry:
Cultivation – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(l) cultivation is defined as: any activity involving the planting, growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading, or trimming of cannabis.
Nursery – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(ab) a nursery is a specific type of license, defined as: a licensee that produces only clones, immature plants, seeds, and other agricultural products used specifically for the planting, propagation, and cultivation of medical cannabis. Nurseries have different licenses than full scale cultivation operations.
Testing laboratory – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(z) a testing laboratory is defined as: a facility, entity, or site in the state that offers or performs tests of medical cannabis or medical cannabis products and that is both of the following: (1) Accredited by an accrediting body that is independent from all other persons involved in the medical cannabis industry in the state; and (2) Registered with the State Department of Public Health.
Manufacturing – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(ae) “Manufacturing” is defined as: raw cannabis that has undergone a process whereby the raw agricultural product has been transformed into a concentrate, an edible product, or a topical product.
Distribution – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(p) distribution is defined as: the procurement, sale, and transport of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products between entities licensed pursuant to California law.
Distributor – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(q) distributor is defined as: a person licensed under this chapter to engage in the business of purchasing medical cannabis from a licensed cultivator, or medical cannabis products from a licensed manufacturer, for sale to a licensed dispensary.
Dispensaries – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(n) dispensary is defined as: a facility where medical cannabis, medical cannabis products, or devices for the use of medical cannabis or medical cannabis products are offered, either individually or in any combination, for retail sale, including an establishment that delivers, pursuant to express authorization by local ordinance, medical cannabis and medical cannabis products as part of a retail sale.
Transport – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(am) transport is defined as: the transfer of medical cannabis or medical cannabis products from the permitted business location of one licensee to the permitted business location of another licensee, for the purposes of conducting commercial cannabis activity authorized pursuant to California law.
Transporter – Under California Business & Professions Code §19300.5(aa) a transporter is defined as: a person issued a state license by the bureau to transport medical cannabis or medical cannabis products in an amount above a threshold determined by the bureau between facilities that have been issued a state license pursuant to California law.
The Cannabis Corporate Law Firm makes regular presentations to industry professionals throughout California. Please note that the presentations below are protected by copyright.
Overview of Commercial Cannabis Rules and Regulations in California
California Cultivation Compliance: The Rules You Need to Know
Outside the Garden: Compliance, Marketing & Lending
Retail Taxation and Examples
Extracting the Regulations for California Cannabis Manufacturers
Distilling Regulations for Cannabis Manufacturers: An In-Depth Examination of California Cannabis Regulations & the Practical Issues Facing Producers
The Future of Cannabis Marketing in the US: Compliance, Marketing and More
Regulations and Resources for the Marijuana Industry:
- Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation (Department of Consumer Affairs): http://bmcr.ca.gov/laws_regs/index.shtml
- CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing through California Department of Food and Agriculture: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/mccp/
- California State Board of Equalization: https://www.boe.ca.gov/news/marijuana.htm
- California Department of Public Health https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/DFDCS.aspx
- Department of Pesticide Regulation: http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/county/cacltrs/penfltrs/penf2016/2016019.htm
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Cannabis
- California Water Resources Control Board: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/cannabis/
- Total Number of Licenses Issued per County: https://static.cdfa.ca.gov/MCCP/document/2016%20Licensing%20Survey%20Results.pdf