Sacramento, CA: Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed several new pieces of cannabis-specific legislation into law, including a measure permitting for the use of certain medical cannabis preparations by authorized patients while they are on school grounds.
Senate Bill 223, which takes effect on January 1, 2020, permits parents or guardians to administer non-smoked formulations of cannabis to patients while on K-12 school campuses. Nothing in the law requires school staff to administer medical cannabis. Several other states, such as Delaware, Illinois, and Washington, already authorize similar activities.
Other bills signed into law include Senate Bill 34, which provides tax breaks for facilities that provide free medical cannabis to disadvantaged patients; Assembly Bill 420, which authorizes the University of California’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research to cultivate cannabis for clinical trials; and Assembly Bill 1529, which imposes additional regulations on cannabis vapor cartridges, among other legislation.
By contrast, the Governor vetoed legislation, Senate Bill 305, which mandated certain health facilities to allow terminally ill patients the option to use medical cannabis on their premises. Governor Newsom indicated that he supported the bill’s intent but opined that it "would create significant conflicts between federal and state law."
For more information, contact Carly Wolf, NORML State Policies Coordinator, at (202) 483-5500 or visit California NORML.