California Bill Would Allow Interstate Cannabis Commerce

A bill to allow interstate cannabis sales was introduced in the California Senate last month which would allow the governor to enter into agreements with other states that have approved the reforms and allow cross-border commerce, L.A. Weekly reports. The measure includes protections for municipalities that do not permit cannabis operations within their borders.

“The bill would prohibit an entity with a commercial cannabis license issued under the laws of another state from engaging in commercial cannabis activity within the boundaries of this state without a state license, or within a local jurisdiction without a license, permit, or other authorization issued by the local jurisdiction.” – SB.1326 text

Lindsay Robinson, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, said that interstate cannabis commerce “has kind of been on the table for the last few years” but “probably got shelved” due to COVID.

“With that said, it is going to come down to the details in the agreement,” Robinson said in an interview with L.A. Weekly. “We need to make sure that California cannabis is stabilized, and that the businesses here are functioning well, and hopefully thriving, before we would contemplate an import.” 

Robinson also described the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Anna M. Caballero (D) as thoughtful on the subject of cannabis. The measure has been sent to the Senate Rules Committee but has not yet been taken up by the body.

In 2019, Oregon passed a law allowing the export of cannabis products to other legal states; however, provisions of the measure are only allowed with approval from the federal government. A federal bill aims to allow cannabis commerce between states with the reforms that border one another, but that bill has not been taken up by either chamber.

In 2020, cannabis advocates and businesses launched the Alliance for Sensible Markets with their sights set on cannabis interstate commerce among legalized states. The organization said cannabis commerce between consenting markets “will bring investment, expansion, business formation, and tens of thousands of jobs in the midst of a historic recession.”