California
Last Updated: April 2022
Programs
- Medical (1996) – Compassionate Use Act of 1996
- Adult Use (2016) – The Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (“the Adult Use of Marijuana Act”)
- The Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) – this is the main statute that establishes the basic framework for licensing, oversight and enforcement as it relates to cannabis businesses.
Dispensaries
- California Bureau of Cannabis Control License Count:
- Retail Storefronts: a retailer may conduct sales in a licensed premises open to the public and may conduct sales by delivery.
- Non-retail storefronts: a non-retail storefront must have a licensed premises, but is not open to the public. It conducts sales exclusively by delivery.
- Microbusiness: businesses that do at least 3 of the following activities at one location: cultivation (up to 10,000 square feet), manufacturing, distribution or distribution transport-only, retail or non-retail storefront.
- Retailers can only sell and deliver cannabis goods between the hours of 6:00am and 10:00pm Pacific Time.
Geography
- Arizona – Medical and Adult Use
- Nevada – Medical and Adult Use
- Oregon – Medical and Adult Use
Regulatory Agencies
- On July 12, 2021 California’s three cannabis regulatory agencies were merged to create the California Department of Cannabis Control. The former regulatory agencies include:
- The California Bureau of Cannabis Control; regulated commercial cannabis licenses for medical and adult-use cannabis in California.
- The California Department of Public Health Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch; regulated and licensed manufacturers of cannabis products.
- The California Department of Food and Agriculture – CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing; regulated and licensed commercial cannabis cultivators, previously managed California’s Cannabis Track and Trace system (via METRC).
Sales Data
- Banks: 130
- Credit Unions: 288
Banking Guidance
(a) An entity that receives deposits, extends credit, conducts fund transfers, transports cash or financial instruments, or provides other financial services does not commit a crime under any California law, including Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 186.9) of Title 7 of Part 1 of the Penal Code, solely by virtue of the fact that the person receiving the benefit of any of those services engages in commercial cannabis activity as a licensee pursuant to this division.
(b) (1) A person licensed to engage in commercial cannabis activity pursuant to this division may request in writing that the department, a local licensing authority, a state or local agency, or a joint powers authority share the person’s application, license, and other regulatory and financial information with a financial institution of the person’s designation. The person shall include in that written request a waiver authorizing the transfer of that information and waiving any confidentiality or privilege that applies to that information.
(2) Notwithstanding any other law that might proscribe the disclosure of application, licensee, and other regulatory and financial information, upon receipt of a written request and waiver pursuant to paragraph (1), the department, a local licensing authority, a state or local agency, or a joint powers authority may share application, licensee, and other regulatory and financial information with the financial institution designated by the licensee in that request for the purpose of facilitating the provision of financial services for that licensee.
(3) A person who provides a waiver may withdraw that waiver at any time. Upon receipt of the withdrawal, the department, local licensing authority, state or local agency, or joint powers authority shall cease to share application, licensee, or other regulatory or financial information with the financial institution.
- A licensed retailer shall not sell more than the following amounts to a single adult-use cannabis customer in a single day:
- 28.5 grams of non-concentrated cannabis.
- 8 grams of cannabis concentrate, including cannabis concentrate contained in cannabis products.
- Persons 18 years or older are allowed to plant, cultivate, harvest, dry and process no more than six (6) living cannabis plants.
- Adults over 21 years of age may grow up to six plants, indoors, at a single residence. Plants must be stored completely indoors and screened from public view.
- A licensed retailer shall not sell more than the following amounts to a single medicinal cannabis patient, or to a patient’s primary caregiver purchasing medicinal cannabis on behalf of the patient, in a single day:
- 8 ounces of medicinal cannabis in the form of dried mature flowers.
- A qualified patient or primary caregiver may also maintain no more than six (6) mature or twelve (12) immature cannabis plants per qualified patient.
- If a qualified patient or primary caregiver has a physician’s recommendation that this quantity does not meet the qualified patient’s medical needs, the qualified patient or primary caregiver may possess an amount of cannabis consistent with the patient’s needs.
- Patients 18 years of age with a valid medical marijuana prescription may grow up to six plants, indoors, at a single residence. Plants must be stored completely indoors and screened from public view.
- Primary caregivers must be at least 18 years old and may include; a parent, the owner, operator or employee of a licensed facility, such as a clinic, hospice, home health agency.
- Senate Bill 305 was vetoed in by Gov. Newsom in January 2020. If approved, the bill (“the Compassionate Access to Medical Cannabis Act” or “Ryan’s Law”) would have allowed terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis within a healthcare facility. Gov. Newsom vetoed the bill citing that health facilities must comply with all federal laws (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) to receive federal reimbursement for the services they provide.
State Cannabis Regulatory Authority
Address:
Sacramento office
Department of Cannabis Control (DCC)
2920 Kilgore Road
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
North Coast regional office
Department of Cannabis Control (DCC)
930 Sixth Street
Eureka, CA 95501
Contact :
Phone: 1‑844‑61‑CA‑DCC (1‑844‑612‑2322).
Questions can also be emailed to:
Mailing Address:
Department of Cannabis Control (DCC)
PO Box 419106
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9106
State Banking Regulatory Authority
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation
https://dfpi.ca.gov/division-of-corporations-and-financial-institutions/
Email: DFPI@dfpi.ca.gov
https://dfpi.ca.gov/contact-the-office-of-financial-technology-and-innovation/
DFPI Main Office – Sacramento
2101 Arena Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone:
(916) 445-7205
(866) 275-2677
San Francisco
One Sansome Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94104-4428″
Phone:
(415) 972-8565
(866) 275-2677
Los Angeles
300 S. Spring Street, Suite 15513
Los Angeles, CA 90013-1259
Phone:
(213) 897-2085
(866) 275-2677
Los Angeles
320 West 4th Street, Suite 750
Los Angeles, CA 90013-2344
Phone:
(213) 576-7500
(866) 275-2677
San Diego
1455 Frazee Road, Suite 315
San Diego, CA 92108
Phone:
(619) 610-2093
(866) 275-2677
Licensees and Industries Regulated by the Division:
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