Victory for Cannabis Consumers and Retailers: AB 762 Pulled from Committee

The California Cannabis Operators Association (CaCOA) is excited to share that Assembly Bill 762 (Irwin/Wilson) has been pulled from the Assembly Business and Professions Committee due to a lack of support. 

This is a significant win for cannabis consumers, patients, and the entire legal cannabis industry in California.

AB 762 would have banned integrated cannabis vaporizers beginning January 2026, despite their importance to medical cannabis patients and adult consumers who rely on them. Far from “single-use” or “disposable” (as often mislabeled), a half-gram unit delivers approximately 150 doses, while a full gram provides more than 300 doses. Consumers and patients use them over weeks or months.

The bill also represented a well-intentioned but misguided approach to addressing environmental concerns. While CaCOA shares the authors' commitment to environmental safety and consumer protection, banning integrated vaporizer devices would not have achieved those goals. 

Instead, the legislation would have:

• Driven more consumers to the unregulated illicit market

• Created significant hardship for medical cannabis patients with chronic pain or mobility impairments

• Eliminated a critical product category without offering real recycling solutions

• Resulted in approximately $41 million in lost cannabis excise tax revenue, not including additional losses in sales and use tax or local cannabis taxes

It’s important to note that as of July 1, 2024, California’s cannabis licensees already comply with AB 1894 (Rivas), which mandated disposal instructions and directed consumers to appropriate recycling resources. This existing law deserves time to work before introducing new restrictions.

Amy Jenkins, CaCOA's Executive Director, offered the following statement on this legislative victory:

"We are grateful to the Assembly Business and Professions Committee members for recognizing the problematic aspects of AB 762. While we always appreciate the legislature's attention to environmental concerns, this bill would have created severe unintended consequences for patients, consumers, and our struggling legal cannabis industry. The committee's decision reflects thoughtful consideration of such a ban's real-world impacts on public health and safety.

This victory belongs to our members, whose support enables CaCOA to serve as the cannabis industry's voice in Sacramento. We remain committed to working with lawmakers on effective, balanced policies that protect consumers while allowing the legal cannabis market to thrive."

This outcome demonstrates why industry advocacy matters. CaCOA represents over 300 licensed operators across the supply chain—farmers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers—serving over half the state's population. 

Our collective voice ensured that legislators understood the real-world implications of this proposed ban. As we continue facing significant challenges, CaCOA remains committed to working with legislators and regulators on solutions that:

• Protect consumer health and safety

• Support environmentally responsible practices

• Strengthen the legal cannabis market

• Address the persistent problem of illicit market competition

We thank all our members for their continued support.

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