California State Senator Introduces Bill to Expand Resources for Cannabis Market

Adult-use cannabis is entering its fifth year of voter-approved legalization in California, but the illicit market has continued to soar because of constraints associated with licensing and regulations required by state law.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner introduced legislation Feb. 11 to loosen some of those constraints by expanding resources to help city and county governments that don’t have the wherewithal to oversee legal cannabis operations, she said in a release about her bill. S.B. 398 would allow local jurisdictions access to a state program that would manage certain bureaucratic functions for them, like enabling businesses to obtain licenses through the state.

“Californians legalized cannabis four years ago, yet the state is still plagued by a multi-billion-dollar illicit cannabis market,” Skinner said in the release. “Why? Too many cities and counties don’t have the bandwidth to set up cannabis licensing and regulations. S.B. 398 will help cities and counties greenlight legal cannabis by allowing cannabis businesses to get their local licenses through the state.”

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