NEWS & RESOURCES

Now comes the more complex work of building the legal cannabis market California deserves: one that expands access to safe, regulated products, unleashes innovation to create jobs, and generates sustainable tax revenue for the community programs that depend on it.

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation, Assembly Bill 8 (Aguiar-Curry), establishing clear rules on how hemp should enter the licensed cannabis market while protecting our youth by keeping intoxicating hemp products out of the hands of children and ensuring those products are only sold through licensed dispensaries to qualifying adults.

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation, Assembly Bill 564 (Haney), that eliminates a 25% tax increase on California’s legal...

AB 8 protects consumers from potentially harmful synthetic compounds, and it strengthens California's regulated cannabis market by ensuring all intoxicating products meet the rigorous safety standards voters demanded when they passed Proposition 64. We're proud to have championed this common-sense measure. 

Today's passage of AB 564 proves that sound policy wins when lawmakers listen to data over rhetoric. This bill protects consumers from dangerous illicit products while preserving the tax revenue that supports essential programs like childcare and community reinvestment. (California cannabis)

he California State Senate voted 38-1 to pass Assembly Bill 564 (Haney), which rolls back the cannabis excise tax from 19% to 15% starting October 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. 

The California Cannabis Operators Association is thrilled to announce the Senate Appropriations Committee has passed critically important legislation (AB 8 and AB 564) to protect public health and safety and the integrity of the legal cannabis market.

California's legal cannabis industry achieved a crucial milestone this week as both AB 564 and AB 8 passed out of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee with unanimous support, a testament to the collective advocacy efforts of the California Cannabis Operators Association.

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California cannabis consumers and patients will start paying over 25% more in excise taxes on safe, regulated products on July 1st, pushing total tax burdens on legal cannabis to as high as 50% at retail locations across the state. 

Thanks to consistent advocacy by CaCOA and our members, the DCC has taken a thoughtful and practical step to ensure cannabis infused product sales remain compliant and manageable for retailers across the state.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Cannabis Operators Association is excited to announce the addition of two new members to its Board of...

“We're thrilled to report that all of our priority bills moved forward,” said Amy O’Gorman Jenkins, Executive Director of CaCOA. “This is a huge accomplishment that reflects the power of unified advocacy, strong partnerships, and sound policy."

California cannabis excise tax: With the July 1 deadline approaching rapidly, incorporating this freeze into the budget process represents the most expedient and responsible path forward. This approach aligns perfectly with the Governor's enforcement proposals, outlined in his May Revise, by ensuring we don't simultaneously make the regulated market less competitive.

California's legal cannabis industry cannot withstand a more than 25% tax increase when sales have already declined by 19% and thousands of businesses have closed their doors. 

CaCOA's expanding membership reflects the growing collective strength of California's licensed cannabis industry.

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.

Mammoth Distribution, one of the first vertically-integrated cannabis companies in the nation, Nabis, California's largest licensed cannabis wholesale platform, and Eaze, a pioneering cannabis delivery and retail company, have joined CaCOA's growing coalition of businesses committed to revitalizing and protecting California's legal cannabis market.

This new digital home represents a significant step in CaCOA's mission to advance policies that create a functional, responsible, and accessible legal cannabis marketplace throughout the Golden State.

“Raising taxes in a shrinking market is shortsighted and fiscally irresponsible,” said Freedman. “AB 564 will help level the playing field, protect jobs, and keep California competitive in the national cannabis economy. We thank Assemblymember Haney for his leadership and urge the Legislature to act before it’s too late.”