AB 762 Would Ban Cannabis Vapes and Empower California's Illicit Market: Here's What Retailers Need to Know

Laura Braden
Jan 8
2 min read

Updated: Jan 9

This Tuesday, January 13th, the Assembly Business and Professions Committee will consider Assembly Bill 762 (Irwin), legislation that would prohibit the sale of all-in-one (AIO) cannabis vapes in California.

The California Cannabis Operators Association (CaCOA) strongly opposes this bill and has submitted a letter explaining why it is fundamentally flawed.

AB 762 would ban cannabis retailers from selling any battery-embedded vaporizers: a product category that represents about 12% of legal cannabis sales statewide. For an already struggling market, this ban would eliminate over $75 million in annual cannabis excise tax revenue and shift consumer demand directly into the untaxed, unregulated illicit market.

Integrated vaporizers aren't single-use products: a typical device delivers 150-300 doses over weeks or months. Patients with arthritis, dexterity challenges, or chronic pain depend on these devices because they don't require the fine motor skills that separate cartridge systems demand.

SEE ALSO: CaCOA Fact Check on AB 762 (Irwin)

A ban would push vulnerable patients toward less safe, unregulated alternatives that lack safety testing and quality assurance. The illicit market will gladly fill the gap, selling untested devices with no quality controls, safety standards, environmental oversight, or tax revenue.

Cannabis taxes currently fund youth prevention programs, environmental restoration, and public health services. Every consumer pushed into the illicit market means lost revenue for those vital programs. The math is straightforward: you cannot fund public services with revenue that doesn't exist.

AB 762 is the opposite of what policymakers should want, and California already has a better solution.

AB 1894, which took effect in July 2024, requires labeling and mandatory consumer education about proper disposal at hazardous waste facilities. Licensed manufacturers are complying, and the regulated market has the infrastructure and accountability to address environmental concerns responsibly.

AB 762 dismantles that progress.

We need your voice: the committee hearing is Tuesday, January 13th.

This vote directly affects your bottom line and your customers' access to safe, tested products. If your legislator serves on the committee, please consider reaching out so they understand the unintended consequences of AB 762:

Marc Berman (Chair)	Dem - 23	Contact \| (916) 319-2023
Heath Flora (Vice Chair)	Rep - 09	Contact \| (916) 319-2009
Patrick J. Ahrens	Dem - 26	Contact \| (916) 319-2026
Juan Alanis	Rep - 22	Contact \| (916) 319-2022
Jasmeet Kaur Bains	Dem - 35	Contact \| (916) 319-2035
Rebecca Bauer-Kahan	Dem - 16	Contact \| (916) 319-2016
Jessica M. Caloza	Dem - 52	Contact \| (916) 319-2052
Phillip Chen	Rep - 59	Contact \| (916) 319-2059
Sade Elhawary	Dem - 57	Contact \| (916) 319-2057
Heather Hadwick	Rep - 01	Contact \| (916) 319-2001
Matt Haney	Dem - 17	Contact \| (916) 319-2017
Jacqui Irwin	Dem - 42	Contact \| (916) 319-2042
Dr. Corey A. Jackson	Dem - 60	Contact \| (916) 319-2060
Maggy Krell	Dem - 06	Contact \| (916) 319-2006
Josh Lowenthal	Dem - 69	Contact \| (916) 319-2069
Alexandra M. Macedo	Rep - 33	Contact \| (916) 319-2033
Stephanie Nguyen	Dem - 10	Contact \| (916) 319-2010
Gail Pellerin	Dem - 28	Contact \| (916) 319-2028

Want talking points and/or outreach support? Contact CaCOA’s Executive Director, Amy O’Gorman Jenkins (amy@precisionadvocacy.co).

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