BY RUTH HILL R.N.
September 30, 2024, was the last day for California Governor Gavin Newson to sign bills for the 2024 legislative session. Newsom cleared his desk of nearly 1,000 bills and blocked 183 of them. That’s a veto rate of about 18% of the bills he acted on after the Legislature adjourned Aug. 31 (and about 16% of all 1,200 bills passed this year). In the CA 2024 legislator 2124 bills were introduced. Each bill today costs in the neighborhood of $30,000 to go through the legislative process. Newsom vetoed 156 bills and signed 890. That’s over one thousand bills suspended that never reached the governor’s desk. The reader can do the math on the amount of waste, yet we vote these legislators in time and time again.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1775 also known as the “cafe bill”. AB 1775 allows local jurisdictions to permit certain cannabis retailers to prepare and sell food or drinks that do not contain cannabis, as well as host and sell tickets to live events at their licensed premises.
Authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D), this proposal addresses concerns the governor expressed last year when he vetoed the state’s previous proposal to legalize cannabis lounges. At the time, Newsom said that allowing such businesses “could undermine California’s long-standing smoke-free workplace protections” — so this year’s proposal carries requirements for participating companies to evaluate their working conditions and post appropriate warnings, and for local authorities to consider setting new ventilation and/or filtration requirements. This is a red herring concern. Cannabis research validates cannabis smoke is not the same as cigarette smoke nor is it dangerous to inhale.
One day after signing AB 1775 Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed small cannabis growers to sell products directly to consumers. AB 1111 (Pellerin) allows small cannabis farmers to sell directly to consumers. It would require the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to issue small producer event sales licenses that authorize the license holder to sell cannabis or cannabis products, containing cannabis cultivated by that licensee, at a limited number of state-licensed cannabis events. This bill secured its required 2/3 vote with Cal NORML’s help.
While the Legislature can override vetoes, it takes a two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and Senate and that hasn’t happened since 1979. Governors can also allow bills to become law without their signature, but that doesn’t occur very often, either.
Newsom signed SB 1511 (Health Omnibus Bill) which clarifies that hospitals must follow Ryan’s law. The Compassionate Access to Medical Cannabis Act or Ryan’s Law, requires specified health care facilities to allow a terminally ill patient’s use of medicinal cannabis within the health care facility, as defined, subject to certain restrictions. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to enforce the act. If a terminally ill patient is refused the use of cannabis in the hospital he/she can file a complaint to the California Department of Public Health. It’s the LAW.
Newsom signed SB 1059 (Bradford) – To End Double Taxation of Cannabis at the Local Level. SB 1059 would prohibit a city or county from including in the definition of gross receipts, for purposes of any local tax or fee on a licensed cannabis retailer, the amount of any cannabis excise tax imposed under the Cannabis Tax Law or any sales and use taxes. By imposing new requirements on local governments with respect to their taxes and fees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Over 2000 letters were sent to Newsom by the public to pass cannabis bills hoping to reform some of the inequities of state vs county vs city jurisdictions. Public activism forces legislative accountability. It does work. Cannabis Corner urges you to continue to send letters and emails to Governor Newsom relating to his new regulations banning hemp products. If you are taking a hemp medical product for seizures (Charlotte’s Web), or pain, anxiety or other medical issue inform the CA Governor of your opposition to his unprecedented regulations.
Mail: Governor Gavin Newsom
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Website: www.gov.ca.gov/contact.
Send comments to hilruth@gmail.com.
