California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed the bill which would have enabled certain cannabis microbusinesses, such as those in California and Nevada to send medical cannabis directly to their patients through common carriers FedEx and UPS. The proposal was deemed “burdensome” and “overly complicated to administer”.
Following its passage through the California legislature, Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens’ (D) measure was subsequently rejected by Governor. Gavin Newsom (D) on Saturday.
The governor stated in his veto that “this bill would allow a small number of cannabis-based microbusinesses the ability to send certain medical cannabis products directly from their facilities to patients via a common carrier.”
According to an analysis, the supporters of this legislation argue that there is a very small group of Californians who require specific medications that are not available in retail stores, because they’re perishable and only a select few people want them.
This bill aims to provide flexibility to medical patients who find it difficult to travel in order to buy medicinal cannabis products. Prior amendments, however, limited the reach of the bill. They prohibited the delivery of medical cannabis products to patients living within 60 miles from a cannabis retailer. The bill is currently unclear as to how many people will be able to use it.
Ahrens the bill sponsor stated in an analysis that the “availability of medical cannabis has decreased significantly due to the regulatory burdens and high taxes as well as the priority given to adult-use recreational over medicinal products.”
“As a result, many patients—particularly those with intractable epilepsy, advanced cancers, multiple sclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders—are struggling to obtain appropriate and effective medical cannabis products,” he said. California’s huge geography makes this problem worse, because many serious patients do not have access to medical cannabis.
He said that the now vetoed legislation would have offered “a narrow and well-regulated solution which allows direct shipment of medical cannabis to only approved patients, under medical supervision. This ensures that these patients receive safe, effective treatment.”
The bill has safeguards in place, including a requirement to verify and document legal patient status and ensure compliance with the track-and trace system. It also requires adult signatures on delivery. It also includes a sunset clause of three years to give the legislators time to assess its effects and to identify problems. By enacting [this bill]California will make a big step towards fulfilling its promise to protect medical cannabis patients’ rights.”
In his veto, the governor said that, while he appreciated the “goal” of increasing patient access to cannabis for medical purposes, the proposed “direct shipping program” would be too complex and burdensome to manage.
The Department of Cannabis Control’s (DCC) redesign of the California Cannabis Track-and-Trace System will be a significant undertaking, requiring time and considerable resources,” he explained. “Moreover, this measure includes numerous restrictions on eligible products—many of which are unclear, overly narrow, or unworkable, adding to the implementation challenge. This measure only allows two companies to deliver medical cannabis to patients directly, so the administrative costs far exceed the potential benefits.
“I’m open to working on strategies with the Legislature that effectively promote equal access to safe, regulated cannabis,” said he. However, this measure wouldn’t achieve that goal and would divert limited resources away DCC priorities.
—
MEDCAN24 has been tracking the hundreds of bills relating to cannabis, psychedelics or drug policies that have passed through state legislatures as well as Congress in this past year. Patreon subscribers who donate at least $25/month have access to the interactive maps and charts as well as our hearing calendar.
Discover more about the marijuana bills tracker. Become a patron on Patreon and you will have access.
—
Newsom, meanwhile, signed last Thursday a law aimed at streamlining the research of marijuana and psychoactive substances.
The Governor approved the final measure on Friday that allows the Research Advisory Panel of California, (RAPC), to speed up the reviews of research proposals for Schedule I and Schedule II substances. This will continue until January 2028.
The governor signed into law a bill last month to put an end to a recent tax increase on marijuana products.
California officials are also inviting research proposals for a second round of grants under a program meant to better educate the public on the state’s marijuana law and help policymakers make informed decisions on the issue.
In June, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced the recipients of over $52 million in community reinvestment grants to nonprofits and local health departments, also funded by marijuana tax revenue.
That marked the seventh round of cannabis-funded California Community Reinvestment Grants (CalCRG) under the state program.
California’s legalization of marijuana has led to the creation of a variety of grant programs that are aimed at combating the effects of prohibition of marijuana and trying to foster a well-regulated, strong industry.
California’s Supreme Court separately delivered a victory for the state’s marijuana program in June, rescinding a lower court ruling in a case that suggested federal prohibition could be used locally to undermine the cannabis market.
The state Supreme Court ruling also came just weeks after California officials unveiled a report on the current status and future of the state’s marijuana market—with independent analysts hired by regulators concluding that the federal prohibition on cannabis that prevents interstate commerce is meaningfully bolstering the illicit market.
The governor did sign a bill in 2022 that would have empowered him to enter into interstate cannabis commerce agreements with other legal states, but that power was incumbent upon federal guidance or an assessment from the state attorney general that sanctioned such activity.
Meanwhile, a California Senate committee recently declined to advance a bipartisan bill that would have created a psilocybin pilot program for military veterans and former first responders.
Gage Skidmore is the photographer of this image element.
MEDCAN24 could not exist without readers’ support. Please consider making a Patreon monthly pledge if you depend on our cannabis journalism for information.
