AB 837 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Ketamine.

Summary

Existing law, the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, categorizes controlled substances into 5 designated schedules, places the greatest restrictions on those substances contained in Schedule I, and generally places the least restrictive limitations on controlled substances classified in Schedule V. Existing law categorizes ketamine as a Schedule III controlled substance. Existing law makes it a crime to transport, import, sell, furnish, administer, or give away, including to offer or attempt to transport, import, sell, furnish, administer, or give away, specified controlled substances. Existing law makes a violation of that provision punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for 3, 4, or 5 years, except as specified. Existing law, with a specified exception, makes it a crime to possess for sale or sell ketamine. Existing law makes a violation of that provision punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than one year or in the state prison. This bill would instead make a violation of that provision punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than one year or for 3, 4, or 5 years. The bill would also make it a crime to transport, import, furnish, administer, or give away, offer to transport, import, furnish, administer, or give away, or attempt to import or transport ketamine into this state, except as specified. The bill would make a violation of these prohibitions punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for 3, 4, or 5 years. By creating a new crime and expanding the penalties for a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 19, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/19/25 - Introduced → 03/27/25 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Mar 27, 2025

MODERATE

The amended version of AB 837 significantly expands its scope by adding a new section that amends Health and Safety Code Section 11379.2 in addition to the original amendment to Section 11352. The bill now creates a new crime prohibiting the transport, import, furnish, administer, or give away of ketamine without a prescription (punishable by 3, 4, or 5 years), and expands the existing penalty for possession for sale or sale of ketamine from county jail only to also include state prison under the realignment framework. This makes the bill both a new criminal prohibition and a penalty enhancement rather than simply adding ketamine to an existing list.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a single amendment to Section 11352 (adding ketamine to an existing transport/sale prohibition) to also amending Section 11379.2, which both creates a new criminal prohibition on non-prescription distribution of ketamine and enhances the penalty for possession for sale or sale of ketamine to include state prison.

SCOPE

A new Section 1 was added amending Health and Safety Code Section 11379.2, which previously was not addressed by the bill. The original Section 11352 amendment was renumbered as Section 2.

The legislative digest now describes the bill as both creating a new crime and expanding penalties for an existing crime, rather than simply adding ketamine to an existing list of controlled substances. The bill is noted to impose a state-mandated local program due to these combined changes.

REQUIREMENT

New subsection (b) of Section 11379.2 creates a new crime: transporting, importing into the state, furnishing, administering, or giving away ketamine (subdivision (g) of Section 11056) without a valid prescription is now punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code (3, 4, or 5 years).

ENFORCEMENT

The penalty for possession for sale or sale of ketamine under Section 11379.2(a) was expanded from county jail only to 'imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than one year or in the state prison pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code,' adding the option of state prison sentences of 3, 4, or 5 years.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

May 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Mar 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 26, 2025

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 25).

lower

Mar 3, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on PUB. S.

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors