Newsom Vetoes California Bill To Let Marijuana Businesses Deliver Products Directly To Patients

The governor of California has vetoed a bill that would have allowed
certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products
directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that
the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.”

After advancing through the legislature last month, the measure from
Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D) was rejected by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on
Saturday.

“This bill would authorize a limited number of cannabis microbusinesses to
ship certain medicinal cannabis products directly to patients using a
common carrier,” the governor said in a veto message.

An analysis of the legislation says supporters argue that “a small
population of patients in California requires specific medicinal products
that retailers do not stock, as only a handful of individuals seek them,
and these products are perishable.”

“This bill is intended to create flexibility for medical patients and
caregivers for whom it is a hardship to travel to purchase medicinal
cannabis products. However, prior amendments narrowed the scope of the bill
by prohibiting the shipment of medicinal cannabis goods to patients who
live within 60 miles of a cannabis retailer or delivery option. It is
unclear how many patients currently stand to benefit from this bill.”

The bill sponsor, Ahrens, said in the analysis that “the availability of
medical cannabis products has declined significantly due to regulatory
burdens, high taxation, and the prioritization of adult-use recreational
products over medicinal formulations.”

“As a result, many patients—particularly those with intractable epilepsy,
advanced cancers, multiple sclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders—are
struggling to obtain appropriate and effective medical cannabis products,”
he said. “California’s vast geography further exacerbates this issue, as
many seriously ill patients live in areas where specialized medical
cannabis products are not available locally and these patients are not able
to travel long distances to dispensaries that carry the products they need.”

The now-vetoed bill would have provided “a narrow, well-regulated solution
that allows for direct shipment of medicinal cannabis only to approved
patients under medical supervision, ensuring that they receive safe and
effective treatment,” he said.

“The bill includes appropriate safeguards, such as requiring verification
and documentation of legal medical patient status, ensuring compliance with
track-and-trace systems, and mandating adult signatures upon delivery.
Additionally, it includes a three-year sunset provision to allow the
legislature to evaluate its impact and identify any problems with
implementation. By enacting [this bill], California will take a significant
step in fulfilling its commitment to protecting the rights and well-being
of medical cannabis patients.”

The governor, in his veto message, said that while he appreciates the “goal
of expanding patient access to medical cannabis,” the planned
“direct-shipping program would be burdensome and overly complex to
administer.”

“The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) will need to revamp the
California Cannabis Track-and-Trace System, which will take significant
resources and time,” he said. “Moreover, this measure includes numerous
restrictions on eligible products—many of which are unclear, overly narrow,
or unworkable, adding to the implementation challenge. Given that this
measure allows just two businesses to ship medical cannabis directly to
patients, the costs of administering this program far outweigh the possible
benefits to patients.”

“I remain open to working with the Legislature on strategies to effectively
advance equitable access to safe and regulated cannabis,” he said.
“However, this measure would not achieve that goal while shifting limited
resources away from DCC’s other priorities.”


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policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon
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Meanwhile last week, Newsom signed a bill aimed at streamlining research on
marijuana and psychedelics.

The governor on Friday gave final approval to the measure that empowers the
Research Advisory Panel of California (RAPC) to expedite reviews of study
proposals on Schedule I and Schedule II controlled substances, through
January 2028.

Last month the governor also signed a bill into law to put a pause on a
recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products.

California officials are also inviting research proposals for a second
round of grants under a program meant to better educate the public on the
state’s marijuana law and help policymakers make informed decisions on the
issue.

In June, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
(GO-Biz) announced the recipients of over $52 million in community
reinvestment grants to nonprofits and local health departments, also funded
by marijuana tax revenue.

That marked the seventh round of cannabis-funded California Community
Reinvestment Grants (CalCRG) under the state program.

Legalization in California has created a number of new grant programs aimed
at addressing the consequences of marijuana prohibition and attempting to
nurture a strong, well-regulated legal industry.

California’s Supreme Court separately delivered a victory for the state’s
marijuana program in June, rescinding a lower court ruling in a case that
suggested federal prohibition could be used locally to undermine the
cannabis market.

The state Supreme Court ruling also came just weeks after California
officials unveiled a report on the current status and future of the state’s
marijuana market—with independent analysts hired by regulators concluding
that the federal prohibition on cannabis that prevents interstate commerce
is meaningfully bolstering the illicit market.

The governor did sign a bill in 2022 that would have empowered him to enter
into interstate cannabis commerce agreements with other legal states, but
that power was incumbent upon federal guidance or an assessment from the
state attorney general that sanctioned such activity.

Meanwhile, a California Senate committee recently declined to advance a
bipartisan bill that would have created a psilocybin pilot program for
military veterans and former first responders.

*Image element courtesy of Gage Skidmore.*

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