The governor of California has vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.”
After advancing through the legislature last month, the measure from Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D) was rejected by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Saturday.
“This bill would authorize a limited number of cannabis microbusinesses to ship certain medicinal cannabis products directly to patients using a common carrier,” the governor said in a veto message.
An analysis of the legislation says supporters argue that “a small population of patients in California requires specific medicinal products that retailers do not stock, as only a handful of individuals seek them, and these products are perishable.”
“This bill is intended to create flexibility for medical patients and caregivers for whom it is a hardship to travel to purchase medicinal cannabis products. However, prior amendments narrowed the scope of the bill by prohibiting the shipment of medicinal cannabis goods to patients who live within 60 miles of a cannabis retailer or delivery option. It is unclear how many patients currently stand to benefit from this bill.”
The bill sponsor, Ahrens, said in the analysis that “the availability of medical cannabis products has declined significantly due to regulatory burdens, high taxation, and the prioritization of adult-use recreational products over medicinal formulations.”
“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 vast geography further exacerbates this issue, as many seriously ill patients live in areas where specialized medical cannabis products are not available locally and these patients are not able to travel long distances to dispensaries that carry the products they need.”
The now-vetoed bill would have provided “a narrow, well-regulated solution that allows for direct shipment of medicinal cannabis only to approved patients under medical supervision, ensuring that they receive safe and effective treatment,” he said.
“The bill includes appropriate safeguards, such as requiring verification and documentation of legal medical patient status, ensuring compliance with track-and-trace systems, and mandating adult signatures upon delivery. Additionally, it includes a three-year sunset provision to allow the legislature to evaluate its impact and identify any problems with implementation. By enacting [this bill], California will take a significant step in fulfilling its commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of medical cannabis patients.”
The governor, in his veto message, said that while he appreciates the “goal of expanding patient access to medical cannabis,” the planned “direct-shipping program would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.”
“The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) will need to revamp the California Cannabis Track-and-Trace System, which will take significant resources and time,” he said. “Moreover, this measure includes numerous restrictions on eligible products—many of which are unclear, overly narrow, or unworkable, adding to the implementation challenge. Given that this measure allows just two businesses to ship medical cannabis directly to patients, the costs of administering this program far outweigh the possible benefits to patients.”
“I remain open to working with the Legislature on strategies to effectively advance equitable access to safe and regulated cannabis,” he said. “However, this measure would not achieve that goal while shifting limited resources away from DCC’s other priorities.”
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Meanwhile last week, Newsom signed a bill aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics.
The governor on Friday gave final approval to the measure that empowers the Research Advisory Panel of California (RAPC) to expedite reviews of study proposals on Schedule I and Schedule II controlled substances, through January 2028.
Last month the governor also signed a bill into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike 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.
Legalization in California has created a number of new grant programs aimed at addressing the consequences of marijuana prohibition and attempting to nurture a strong, well-regulated legal 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.
Image element courtesy of Gage Skidmore.
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