The California Cannabis Research Program.

(1) If the Regents of the University of California accept the responsibility, existing law requires the University of California to establish the California Cannabis Research Program, also sometimes referred to as the California Marijuana Research Program or the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, in order to develop and conduct studies intended to ascertain the general medical safety and efficacy of cannabis, among other duties. Existing law, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) , an initiative statute approved by the voters at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election as Proposition 64, among other things, establishes the California Cannabis Tax Fund as a continuously appropriated fund consisting of specified taxes, interest, penalties, and other amounts imposed by AUMA. AUMA requires, after other specified disbursements are made from the fund, the Controller to disburse $2,000,000 to the University of California San Diego Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research. This bill would specify that the program is hosted by the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research. The bill would authorize the program to cultivate cannabis for its use in research, pursuant to applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The bill would expand the purview of the program, which is funded by the California Cannabis Tax Fund, to include the study of naturally occurring constituents of cannabis and synthetic compounds and to require the program to develop and conduct studies to examine the effects of cannabis, cannabinoids, and related constituents, and other behavioral health outcomes. The bill would also authorize the controlled clinical trials to focus on examining testing methods for detecting harmful contaminants in cannabis, including mold and bacteria. The bill would require funds from the California Cannabis Tax Fund to be used only as authorized by the AUMA. Existing law authorizes the program to solicit, apply for, and accept funds from foundations, private individuals, and all other funding sources that can be used to expand the scope or timeframe of the cannabis studies. Existing law prohibits the program from accepting funds that are offered with any conditions other than that the funds be used to study the efficacy and safety of cannabis as part of medical treatment. Existing law requires that a donor be advised that funds given for these purposes will be used to study both the possible benefits and detriments of cannabis and that the donor will have no control over the use of the funds. This bill would delete the requirement that a donor be given this advisement. Existing law requires the program to report to the Legislature every 6 months detailing the progress of the studies. This bill would, instead, require the program to report to the Legislature every 24 months. (2) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.