UPDATE: TIMING OF CALIFORNIA'S EMERGENCY MARIJUANA REGULATIONS ANNOUNCED

Regulations for commercial medicinal and adult-use marijuana in California are slated to be published in the fall of 2017, according to a Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau of Cannabis Control (“DCABCC”) announcement on July 26, 2017. The implementation date for the issuance of medicinal and adult-use licenses under the regulations remains January 2, 2018. This is the first announcement by a California agency confirming an estimated date for completion of the all-important regulations.

Earlier this spring, the DCABCC, Department of Public Health (“DPH”), and Department of Food and Agriculture (“DFA”) proposed regulations for California’s Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (“MCRSA”). However, with the passing of the Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (“MACRSA”) by the California Legislature and signed into law by Governor Brown, which creates one regulatory system for both medicinal and adult-use marijuana, the DCABCC, DPH, and DFA are each developing new proposed regulations based on the streamlined MACRSA.

Hopefully, the new regulations will roll out in time for prospective marijuana operators to adequately review prior to committing to the application and licensing process the first of next year.