Indoor-Grown Cannabis Commission.

Under existing law, the Legislature finds and declares that the agricultural and seafood industries are vitally important elements of the state's economy. Existing law provides for various commissions and councils to promote the marketing and production of agricultural or seafood commodities. This bill would create the Indoor-Grown Cannabis Commission in state government with a prescribed membership, and would specify the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the commission's board of directors. The bill would authorize the commission to, among other things, conduct research for specified purposes, assess and address the impact of local and state regulations on the cannabis and indoor-grown cannabis industries, and collect and disseminate market price information to prevent unfair trade practices. The bill would authorize the commission to levy assessments on all indoor cultivators, as defined, in amounts within unspecified ranges based on the weight or value of indoor cannabis marketed, and would continuously appropriate these funds to the commission for the purposes of implementing these provisions. The bill would provide that these provisions, except as necessary to conduct an election, would not become operative until indoor cultivators vote in favor of these provisions by referendum, as prescribed. The bill would also provide for the suspension of the operation of these provisions and for concluding the operations of the commission under certain circumstances. The bill would make it unlawful for a person to render or furnish false reports, secrete, destroy, or alter records, fail to furnish a report, or fail or refuse to furnish to the commission information concerning the names and addresses of persons to whom indoor-grown cannabis was delivered or from whom indoor-grown cannabis was received, except as provided. The bill would authorize the commission to bring certain civil actions to enforce these provisions. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.