This bill is part of the 2021 Cannabis Bills section of our ongoing update on California Cannabis Legislation – see the full California Cannabis Law Legislative Update which includes information on cannabis bills from other years.
AB 214 Budget Act of 2021.
This bill would make appropriations for the support of state government for the 2021–22 fiscal year.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a Budget Bill.
The 2021-2022 budget proposal includes a proposal to consolidate the three state licensing authorities into a single Department of Cannabis Control. This proposal was first announced in January 2020 but was delayed due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. If approved by the Legislature, the new Department will be created on July 1, 2021.
In an effort to improve access to licensing and simplify and centralize regulatory oversight of commercial cannabis activity, the Governor’s Budget proposes to consolidate licensing and associated regulatory functions into a single state Department. This proposal seeks to better serve stakeholders including cannabis businesses, local governments, and members of the public by acting as a single point of contact as well as leverage existing funding in a more efficient way by reducing redundancies. Further, it seeks to establish uniform operations and procedures that will streamline processes for applicants and licensees and offer better service and coordination.
The budget change proposal establishes the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) within the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. This proposal creates the infrastructure for the new Department by moving existing positions and funding currently supporting the three state cannabis licensing authorities under DCC. The budget change proposal requests $153,834,000 in funding for fiscal year 2021-2022 and 621 positions.
Under the proposal, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will retain the Cannabis Appellations Program. The OCal Programs, which will establish standards for cannabis comparable to the National Organic Program, will also be retained within CDFA and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and will continue to benefit from their existing expertise.
Read more about California Cannabis Legislation – see the full California Cannabis Law Legislative Update.
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