Cannabis: labels, packaging, and advertising.

Multiple provisions are delayed to July 1, 2027: the multi-serving label notice requirement, the container serving-line requirement, the measuring device requirement, and the advertising prohibition against marketing multi-serving beverages as single-serve. Previously these were set to take effect with the rest of the bill (operative July 1, 2024).

The mandatory requirement that at least part of a multi-serving cannabis beverage container be clear or semitransparent is removed. Instead, serving lines are only required if the container is already transparent or otherwise visibly displays the liquid level. An exception is added for containers shaped in a way that makes accurate serving lines impossible.

Labels for multi-serving cannabis beverages must now include the size of a single serving measured in fluid ounces to the nearest tenth of a fluid ounce, in addition to the existing notice about multiple servings and measurement instructions.

The measuring device requirement is clarified: the retailer (not just an unspecified party) must offer the device, it must be provided by the manufacturer on an as-needed basis, and it must be able to contain at least one fluid ounce and measure to the nearest tenth of a fluid ounce.

The legislative counsel's digest now explicitly includes 'advertising' in the bill's subject matter description, reflecting the delayed advertising prohibition for multi-serving cannabis beverages.

The THC limit for edible cannabis products was simplified from 'not to exceed 10 mg THC per serving, or in the case of a cannabis beverage, not to exceed 10 mg THC per cannabis beverage container' to just 'not to exceed 10 mg THC per serving.' The separate per-container cap for beverages is removed.

A new requirement mandates that if a cannabis product is a multi-serving cannabis beverage, the consumer must be offered, at the time of purchase and at no additional charge, a measuring instrument or measuring device that allows the consumer to measure a single serving for consumption.

The exclusion stating that a medicinal cannabis tincture (as defined in Section 15000 of Title 4 of the California Code of Regulations) does not count as a 'cannabis beverage' for purposes of the THC limit has been deleted.

An empty Section 3 was removed, renumbering the AUMA declaration section. This is a structural cleanup with no policy effect.

New Section 26152 added to the Business and Professions Code, establishing comprehensive advertising and marketing prohibitions for cannabis, including bans on misleading ads, false origin claims, billboards on border-crossing highways, marketing attractive to children, signs within 1,000 feet of schools and youth centers, and advertising for unlicensed or suspended-license activity.

The THC limit for cannabis beverages changed from 'not to exceed 10 milligrams per cannabis beverage container' to 'not to exceed 10 milligrams per serving,' meaning a multi-serving beverage can now contain more than 10 mg total as long as each individual serving does not exceed 10 mg.

New requirement that multi-serving cannabis beverage containers must have at least part of the container clear or semitransparent to show liquid level, with unobstructed and conspicuous lines delineating individual serving or portion sizes.

New labeling requirement (item 10 in Section 26120) that multi-serving cannabis beverage labels must clearly state the product contains multiple servings and provide information on how to accurately measure a single serving for consumption.

New advertising prohibition specifically targeting cannabis beverages: prohibits marketing multi-serving cannabis beverages as single-serve products or otherwise encouraging consumption of multiple servings at one time.

The bill now amends Section 26130 in addition to Section 26120, expanding its reach from packaging/labeling only to also cover manufacturing licensing (Level 1 for nonvolatile solvents, Level 2 for volatile solvents), edible product standards, and animal product regulations.

Section 26120(c)(9) now requires that labels and inserts for edible cannabis products or cannabis beverages include the toll-free number for the national Poison Help line. The prior version had this as an empty placeholder item.

The THC concentration limit for edibles was restructured: it now explicitly states 10 milligrams THC per serving for standard edibles, or 10 milligrams THC per cannabis beverage container (rather than per serving), making the beverage limit a whole-container cap.

New provisions require edible cannabis products to be homogenized for uniform cannabinoid distribution, manufactured under food-like sanitation standards, provided with consumer information on effects and consumption directions, and marked with a universal symbol determined by the department through regulation.

A new definition clarifies that 'cannabis beverage' does not include a tincture (as defined in Section 15000 of Title 4 of the California Code of Regulations) that is a medicinal cannabis product. This exempts medicinal tinctures from the beverage-specific THC container limit.

The department must promulgate regulations for animal product standards no later than July 1, 2025. Cannabis products may not be marketed or sold for animal use before those regulations take effect.

Edible cannabis products and cannabis beverages must now include the toll-free number for the national Poison Help line on their labels and inserts (new Section 26120(c)(9)).

A new THC limit is imposed on cannabis beverages: no more than 10 milligrams of THC per container, in addition to the existing 10 mg per serving limit for edibles generally (Section 26130(c)(2)).

The bill now amends Section 26130 in addition to Section 26120, adding manufacturing licensing levels (Level 1 for nonvolatile solvents, Level 2 for volatile solvents), edible product standards (homogenization, sanitation, universal symbol marking, consumer information), and animal product provisions with a July 1, 2025 regulatory deadline.

A new Section 3 declares that the act furthers the purposes and intent of AUMA, which is necessary to satisfy the constitutional requirement for amending an initiative statute.

The required vote changed from majority to two-thirds of both houses because the bill now amends AUMA, which requires a supermajority to modify.

The fiscal committee review designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the amended bill now has fiscal implications requiring committee review.