- Gibson Martucci
- 916-319-3104
- gibson.martucci@asm.ca.gov
(SACRAMENTO, CA) — On Saturday, September 13, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 8 (AB 8), authored by Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), with a 73-1-6 assembly floor vote, sending it to Governor Gavin Newsom for signature. AB 8 strengthens enforcement against illegal intoxicating hemp products and incorporates hemp-derived cannabinoids into California’s regulated cannabis market to protect consumer safety.
“I authored AB 45 in 2021 to make non-intoxicating hemp CBD legal in California, but bad actors flooded our communities with untested, intoxicating products which have even been sold to minors,” said Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry. “I’m proud to see AB 8 move to the governor’s desk. It’ll strengthen enforcement against illegal products, better regulate the market to protect our kids, and make sure hemp and cannabis operate under consistent, science-based rules.”
AB 8 safeguards public health by ensuring all products containing intoxicating cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are sold exclusively through licensed cannabis dispensaries. The bill strengthens enforcement by empowering state and local health agencies to seize and destroy illegal products and revoke tobacco licenses for smoke shops selling illicit hemp or cannabis goods. It also strengthens prohibitions on synthetic intoxicants like Delta-8 and Delta-10. To protect consumer safety and create a fair marketplace, AB 8 integrates the hemp and cannabis markets, regulating and taxing hemp cannabinoids and products with trace levels of THC (less than 0.3% THC) under the cannabis framework. Pure cannabidiol (CBD), fiber, and other traditional hemp products will remain in general retail.
“AB 8 is a landmark step forward for California—protecting youth from dangerous, unregulated hemp products, restoring integrity to our legal cannabis market, and creating a clear pathway for hemp and cannabis to responsibly coexist. We are deeply grateful for Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry’s partnership in getting this done,” said Executive Director Amy O'Gorman, California Cannabis Operators Association.
AB 8 is sponsored by the California Cannabis Operators Association and supported by the Western States Council of United Food and Commercial Workers Union, local governments, law enforcement associations, and school safety advocates—all united in the effort to stop intoxicating hemp from undermining consumer safety and California’s regulated marketplace.
“Products that get you high shouldn’t be available to our kids at gas stations and grocery stores,” concludes Aguiar-Curry. “AB 8 makes sure only safe, tested products reach California consumers.”
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