Holds office Governor
Enacted Legislation
Governor Newsom signed several marijuana-related bills into law in 2019. These 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 Senate Bill 223, which permits parents or guardians to administer non-smoked formulations of cannabis to patients while on K-12 school campuses. Former Gov. Jerry Brown had previously vetoed legislation similar to SB 223 and SB34. He also signed an omnibus transportation bill that banned cannabis use in limousines and corporate buses. (Link)(Link)(Link)
Vetoed Legislation
The Governor vetoed Senate Bill 305 in 2019, which sought to mandate 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." (Link)
In 2019, Governor Newsom signed a general order mobilizing the national guard to combat illicit cannabis grow operations, among other activities. He has also called for consolidating the various regulatory departments that oversee licensed cannabis production and retail sale activities in the state. “Establishing a stand-alone department with dedicated enforcement will centralize and align critical regulatory functions to build a successful legal cannabis market, and create a single point of contact for cannabis licensees and local governments,” Newsom stated in his 2020 budget plan. (Link)
As state Lieutenant Governor, Newsom empaneled the state's Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy and campaigned on behalf of California's 2016 adult use marijuana legalization law -- urging voters to “Vote YES on Prop. 64.” (7/6/16) (Link)
1303 10th Street, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814