AB 2420 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Cannabis: donations: seniors.

Summary
(1) The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) , an initiative measure approved as Proposition 64 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, authorizes a person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) , among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities. MAUCRSA authorizes a licensee that is authorized to make retail sales to provide free cannabis or cannabis products to a medicinal cannabis patient or the patient's primary caregiver if specified requirements are met. This bill would authorize a licensee that is authorized to make retail sales to provide free cannabis or cannabis products to a person 65 years of age or older or a senior caregiver, as defined, if specified requirements are met. (2) Existing sales and use tax laws impose use taxes on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state, presumes tangible personal property purchased outside the state that is stored, used, or consumed in this state is purchased for use in this state, and provides various exemptions from those taxes. Existing law, until January 1, 2030, exempts from the use tax the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of medicinal cannabis or medicinal cannabis products that are donated for no consideration, as specified. This bill, on and after a specified operative date, and until 5 years after that operative date, would exempt from the use tax the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of cannabis or cannabis products that are donated for no consideration to a person 65 years of age or older, as specified. The bill would require the exemption to apply only if the cannabis retailer certifies in writing, as specified, that the cannabis or cannabis product will be used as specified. The bill would make a licensee that uses the donated cannabis or cannabis product in some other manner, or for some other purpose, liable for the payment of use tax and subject to having their license suspended. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing laws authorize districts, as specified, to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which generally conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Amendments to the Sales and Use Tax Law are automatically incorporated into the local tax laws. Existing law requires the state to reimburse counties and cities for revenue losses caused by the enactment of sales and use tax exemptions. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse any local agencies for sales and use tax revenues lost by them pursuant to this bill. (3) AUMA imposes a cannabis excise tax upon purchasers of cannabis or cannabis products, as specified. Existing law requires that these provisions not be construed to impose an excise tax upon medicinal cannabis and medicinal cannabis products donated for no consideration to a medicinal cannabis patient, as specified. The bill would also require that these provisions not be construed to impose an excise tax upon cannabis or cannabis products donated for no consideration to a person 65 years of age or older, as specified. (4) This bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office, in order to enable the Legislature to determine whether the use tax exemption provided by the bill are meeting, failing to meet, or exceeding a specified goal and objective, to collect certain data regarding the tax exemptions from specified entities, and to submit a report containing the data to the Legislature and the Governor annually each year that the tax exemptions are in effect. (5) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (6) The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act, an initiative measure, authorizes the Legislature to amend the act to further the purposes and intent of the act with a 23 vote of the membership of both houses of the Legislature, except as provided. This bill would declare that its provisions further specified purposes and intent of the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action Apr 13, 2026
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What changed between versions

02/20/26 - Introduced 03/19/26 - Amended Assembly · 10 edits · Mar 19, 2026
MAJOR
The bill was transformed from a non-operative intent statement into a fully operative measure that authorizes licensed cannabis retailers to provide free cannabis to persons 65 and older and their designated senior caregivers, with corresponding use tax and excise tax exemptions. The amendment adds detailed eligibility criteria, verification requirements, recordkeeping obligations, and a five-year sunset on the tax exemption. It also requires annual data collection and reporting by the Legislative Analyst's Office to evaluate whether the program is meeting its goal of reducing reliance on the illicit market among seniors.
Scope change
The bill changed from a non-operative statement of legislative intent (containing no enforceable provisions) to a fully operative statute with specific rights, obligations, tax exemptions, verification procedures, recordkeeping requirements, enforcement mechanisms, and a defined sunset date. The scope expanded from a general declaration to concrete legal authority for retailers to donate cannabis to seniors and their caregivers.
SCOPE

Added new Business and Professions Code Section 26072 authorizing licensed retailers to provide free cannabis or cannabis products to persons 65 years of age or older and their senior caregivers, subject to specific verification, recordkeeping, and possession limit requirements.

Changed the vote requirement from a simple majority to a two-thirds vote of both houses, reflecting that the bill amends AUMA (Proposition 64), which requires a supermajority for legislative amendments.

DEFINITION

Added the definition of 'senior caregiver' in B&P Code Section 26001: an individual at least 21 years old designated by a person 65 or older who has consistently assumed responsibility for that person's housing, health, or safety. Includes specific rules for facility employees (up to three per facility) and limits on how many seniors one caregiver can serve across jurisdictions.

ELIGIBILITY

Established verification requirements: retailers must keep a copy of the senior's driver's license or government-issued ID. For senior caregivers, a notarized document is required containing the senior's legal name, date of birth, the caregiver's legal name, a designation statement, and a copy of the senior's ID. Records must be retained for at least four years.

FISCAL

Added Revenue and Taxation Code Section 6414.1 exempting donated cannabis from use tax, requiring written certification under penalty of perjury from the retailer. If a licensee misuses donated cannabis, they become liable for use tax and subject to license suspension by the Department of Cannabis Control.

Amended Revenue and Taxation Code Section 34011.2 to exempt cannabis donated for no consideration to persons 65 or older from the state cannabis excise tax (currently 15-19 percent of gross receipts).

Provided that no state appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for sales and use tax revenues lost due to the new exemption, notwithstanding Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

TIMELINE

Set operative date as the earlier of: completion of necessary track and trace system changes as determined by the Department of Cannabis Control, or March 1, 2027. The use tax exemption sunsets five years after becoming operative.

REQUIREMENT

Required that donated cannabis be designated for donation in the track and trace system before transfer, comply with all applicable cultivation, manufacture, distribution, testing, packaging, labeling, and transportation requirements, and not exceed daily possession limits under Health and Safety Code Section 11357.

ENFORCEMENT

Required the Legislative Analyst's Office to collect data from CDTFA and DCC on tax revenue lost, amount of cannabis donated, and number of seniors served, and to submit an annual report to the Legislature and Governor each year the exemption is in effect.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
2
Committee
4
Amendments
1
Apr 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
lower
Mar 23, 2026
Committee
Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Introduced
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Committee
Referred to Coms. on B. & P. and REV. & TAX.
lower
Feb 21, 2026
Lower · Passed
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jessica Caloza
Jessica Caloza
DDemocratic
CA
52