Article 1. Division Definitions and General Requirements
§15000. Definitions.
(a) “Act” means the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, codified in Business and Professions Code section 26000, et seq.
(b) “Adulterated” or “adulteration” has the meaning stated in section 26039.6(a) of the Act.
(c) “Allergen” means a major food allergen as defined in 21 U.S.C § 321(qq).
(d) “Appellation of Origin” means a designation to indicate that the cannabis meets the requirements developed by the program established pursuant to section 26063 of the Act.
(e) “Applicant” means an owner that is applying for a Department-issued license.
(f) “Batch” means a specific quantity of homogeneous cannabis or cannabis product that is one of the following types:
- “Harvest batch” means a specifically identified quantity of dried flower or trim, leaves, and other cannabis plant matter that is harvested at the same time, and, if applicable, cultivated using the same pesticides and other agricultural chemicals.
- “Manufactured cannabis batch” or “production batch” means either:
- An amount of cannabis concentrate or extract produced in one production cycle using the same extraction methods and standard operating procedures; or
- An amount of a type of cannabis product produced in one production cycle using the same formulation and standard operating procedures.
(g) “Cannabis accessories” has the meaning stated in Health and Safety Code section 11018.2.
(h) “Cannabis concentrate” means cannabis that has undergone a process to concentrate one or more active cannabinoids, thereby increasing the product’s potency. For purposes of this division, “cannabis concentrate” includes, but is not limited to, the kief, tinctures, capsules, suppositories, extracts, butter, vape cartridges, inhaled products (e.g., dab, shatter, and wax), and tablets as defined in subsection (nnn).
(i) “Cannabis goods” means cannabis and cannabis products in final form and packaged and labeled as they will be sold at retail. For the purposes of section 15311, “cannabis goods” includes all cannabis and cannabis products in any form.
(j) “Cannabis product” means cannabis that has undergone a process whereby the plant material has been transformed into a concentrate, including, but not limited to, concentrated cannabis, or an edible or topical product containing cannabis or concentrated cannabis and other ingredients.
(k) “Cannabis product quality,” “quality cannabis product,” or “quality” means that the cannabis product consistently meets the established specifications for identity, cannabinoid concentration, homogeneity, composition, and testing standards pursuant to sections 15718 through 15724, and has been manufactured, packaged, labeled, and held under conditions to prevent adulteration and misbranding.
(l) “Cannabis waste” means any material intended for disposal that contains cannabis but is not otherwise considered a hazardous waste. Cannabis waste consisting solely of plant material shall be considered an organic waste as defined in Public Resources Code section 42649.8(d).
(m) “Canopy” means the designated area(s) at a licensed premises that will contain mature plants at any point in time.
(n) “CBD” means the compound cannabidiol, CAS number 13956-29-1. “Total CBD” is defined in section 15700(qqq).
(o) “Commercial cannabis activity” includes the cultivation, possession, manufacture, distribution, processing, storing, laboratory testing, packaging, labeling, transportation, delivery, or sale of cannabis or cannabis products as provided for in this division, or acting as a cannabis event organizer for temporary cannabis events.
(p) “Commercial-grade, non-residential door lock” means a lock manufactured for commercial use.
(q) “Cultivation” means any activity involving the planting, growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading, or trimming of cannabis.
(r) “Cultivation site” means a location where commercial cannabis is planted, grown, harvested, dried, cured, graded, or trimmed, or a location where any combination of those activities occurs.
(s) “Delivery employee” means an individual employed by a licensed retailer or licensed microbusiness authorized to engage in retail sales who delivers cannabis goods from the licensed retailer or licensed microbusiness premises to a customer at a physical address.
(t) “Designated responsible party” means the individual identified by the commercial cannabis business who has legal authority to bind the commercial cannabis business and who is the primary contact for the application and license-related issues.
(u) “Distribution” means the procurement, sale, and transport of cannabis and cannabis products between licensees.
(v) “Dried flower” means all dead cannabis that has been harvested, dried, cured, or otherwise processed, excluding leaves and stems.
(w) “Edible cannabis product” means a cannabis product intended to be used orally, in whole or in part, for human consumption. For purposes of this division, “edible cannabis product” includes cannabis products that dissolve or disintegrate in the mouth, but does not include any product otherwise defined as “cannabis concentrate.”
(x) “Extraction” means a process by which cannabinoids are separated from cannabis plant material through chemical or physical means.
(y) “Final form” refers to cannabis and cannabis products that are in the form in which the cannabis or cannabis product will be consumed or used.
(z) “Flowering” means that a cannabis plant has formed a mass of pistils measuring greater than one-half inch wide at its widest point.
(aa) “Free cannabis goods” means any amount of cannabis goods provided to any person without cost or payment or exchange of any other thing of value.
(bb) “Immature plant” or “immature” means, for purposes of cultivation: a cannabis plant that has a first true leaf measuring greater than one-half inch long from base to tip if started from seed or a mass of roots measuring greater than one-half inch wide at its widest point if vegetatively propagated and outside of a tissue container, but that is not flowering; or a container with one or more cannabis protoplasts, cells, shoots, or plantlets in culture. For retail purposes, “immature plant” or “immature” means a cannabis plant that is nonflowering and shorter and narrower than 18 inches.
(cc) “Indoor cultivation” means the cultivation of cannabis within a permanent structure using exclusively artificial light or within any type of structure using artificial light at a rate above twenty-five watts per square foot.
(dd) “Informational panel” means any part of the cannabis product label that is not the primary panel and that contains required labeling information.
(ee) “Infusion” means a process by which cannabis, cannabinoids, or cannabis concentrates are directly incorporated into a product formulation to produce a cannabis product.
(ff) “Infused pre-roll” means a pre-roll into which cannabis concentrate (other than kief) or other ingredients have been incorporated.
(gg) “Ingredient” means any substance that is used in the manufacture of a cannabis product and that is intended to be present in the finished cannabis product.
(hh) “Kief” means the resinous trichomes of cannabis that have been separated from the cannabis plant.
(ii) “Labeling” means any label or other written, printed, or graphic matter upon cannabis or a cannabis product, upon its container or wrapper, or that accompanies any cannabis or cannabis product.
(jj) “Licensee” means any person holding a license issued under the Act.
(kk) “Light deprivation” means the use of any technique to eliminate natural light in order to induce flowering.
(ll) “Limited-access area” means an area in which cannabis or cannabis products are stored or held and is only accessible to a licensee and authorized persons.
(mm) “Lot” means a batch, or specifically identified portion of a batch.
(nn) “Lot number” or “batch number” means a distinctive group of numbers, letters, or symbols or any combination of these that is unique to a group of cannabis or cannabis products.
(oo) “Manufacture” means to compound, blend, extract, infuse, or otherwise make or prepare a cannabis product.
- The term “manufacture” includes the following processes:
- Extraction.
- Infusion.
- Packaging or repackaging of cannabis products.
- Labeling or relabeling the packages of cannabis products.
- “Post-extraction processing” or “post-processing,” which means a process by which one or more active cannabinoids in cannabis concentrate are further concentrated either by chemical or physical means.
- Remediation of failed harvest batches or cannabis product batches.
- The term “manufacture” does not include the following:
- The repacking of cannabis products from a bulk shipping container by a distributor or retailer where the product’s original packaging and labeling is not otherwise altered.
- The preparation of pre-rolls by a licensed distributor in accordance with the requirements of section 15303.
- The collection of the resinous trichomes that are dislodged or sifted from the cannabis plant incidental to cultivation activities by a licensed cultivator.
- The processing of nonmanufactured cannabis products, as defined in subsection (eee).
- The labeling or relabeling of a package containing cannabis goods with the amount of cannabinoids and terpenoids based on regulatory compliance testing results by a distributor in accordance with sections 15303 and 17407.
(pp) “Manufacturing” or “manufacturing operation” means all aspects of the extraction process, infusion process, post-processing, remediation, and packaging and labeling processes, including processing, preparing, holding, and storing of cannabis products. Manufacturing also includes any processing, preparing, holding, or storing of components and ingredients.
(qq) “Mature plant” or “mature” means a cannabis plant that is flowering.
(rr) “Medicinal cannabis patient” includes both a qualified patient as defined in Health and Safety Code section 11362.7 and a person in possession of a valid identification card issued under Health and Safety Code section 11362.71.
(ss) “Mixed-light cultivation” means the cultivation of mature cannabis in a greenhouse, hoop-house, glasshouse, conservatory, hothouse, or other similar structure using a combination of:
- Natural light and either of the models listed below:
- “Mixed-light Tier 1,” without the use of artificial light or the use of artificial light at a rate above zero, but no more than six watts per square foot; or
- “Mixed-light Tier 2,” the use of artificial light at a rate above six and below or equal to twenty-five watts per square foot.
(tt) “Nonmanufactured cannabis products” means final form items that contain only cannabis, leaf, pre-roll filter tips, or paper.
(uu) “Nonvolatile solvent” means any solvent used in the extraction process that is not a volatile solvent. “Nonvolatile solvent” includes carbon dioxide, ethanol, and nonhydrocarbon-based or other solvents such as water, vegetable glycerin, vegetable oil, animal fat, and glycerin.
(vv) “Nursery” means all activities associated with producing clones, immature plants, seeds, and other agricultural products used specifically for the propagation and cultivation of cannabis.
(ww) “Orally consumed concentrate” means a cannabis concentrate that is intended to be consumed by mouth and is not otherwise an edible cannabis product. “Orally consumed concentrate” includes tinctures, capsules, and tablets as defined in subsection (nnn).
(xx) “Outdoor cultivation” means the cultivation of mature cannabis without the use of artificial lighting in the canopy area at any point in time.
(yy) “Package” or “packaging” means any container or wrapper that may be used for enclosing or containing any cannabis or cannabis product. “Package” does not include a shipping container or outer wrapping used solely for the transport of cannabis or cannabis products in bulk quantity to a licensed premises.
(zz) “Person” includes any individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, limited liability company, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, syndicate, or any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the plural as well as the singular.
(aaa) “Pest” means an undesired insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, bird, vertebrate, invertebrate, weed, virus, bacteria, or other microorganism (except microorganisms on or in living humans or other living animals) that is, or is liable to become, injurious, dangerous, or detrimental to health, the environment, or the agricultural environment of the state.
(bbb) “Pre-roll” means any combination of the following rolled in paper: flower, shake, leaf, or kief that is obtained from accumulation in containers or sifted from loose, dry cannabis flower or leaf with a mesh screen or sieve.
(ccc) “Premises” means the designated structure(s) and land specified in the application that is owned, leased, or otherwise held under the control of the applicant or licensee where the commercial cannabis activity will be or is conducted. The premises shall be a contiguous area and shall only be occupied by one licensee.
(ddd) “Primary panel” means the part of a cannabis goods label that is most likely to be displayed, presented, shown, or examined under customary conditions of display for retail sale.
(eee) “Processing” means all activities associated with the drying, curing, sifting, grading, trimming, rolling, storing, packaging, and labeling of cannabis or nonmanufactured cannabis products.
(fff) “Product Identity” or “identity of the product” means the generic, common, or usual name of a product by which it is most commonly known.
(ggg) “Promotional materials” means any form, letter, circular, pamphlet, publication, or other written material directed to a customer or prospective customer to induce retail sales. Promotional material does not include permitted signs, displays, decorations, cannabis accessories, or cannabis or cannabis products furnished by a licensed cultivator, licensed manufacturer, licensed distributor, licensed microbusiness, or licensed cannabis event organizer to a retail licensee for advertising purposes. Promotional materials shall have no intrinsic or secondary value.
(hhh) “Publicly owned land” means any building or real property that is owned, leased, or occupied by a city, county, state, federal, or other government entity.
(iii) “Quarantine” means the storage or identification of cannabis or cannabis product to prevent use, movement or transfer of the cannabis or cannabis product.
(jjj) “Residential area” is an area that is within 600 feet of any single-family or multifamily residence, other than commercial hotels, motels, and similar establishments for temporary lodging.
(kkk) “Retail area” means a building, room, or other area that is open to the public, upon the licensed retailer or licensed microbusiness premises authorized to engage in retail sales in which cannabis goods are sold or displayed.
(lll) “Serving” means the designated amount of cannabis product established by the manufacturer to constitute a single unit.
(mmm) “Sublet” means to lease or rent all or part of a leased or rented property.
(nnn) “Tablet” means a solid preparation containing a single serving of THC or other cannabinoid that is intended to be swallowed whole, not formulated to be chewable, dispersible, effervescent, orally disintegrating, used as a suspension, or consumed in a manner other than swallowed whole, and does not contain any added natural or artificial flavor or sweetener.
(ooo) “Tamper-evident” means that the cannabis goods packaging is sealed in a manner that prevents the packaging from being opened without obvious destruction of the seal.
(ppp) “Terpenes” means terpenes, terpenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and other naturally occurring phytochemicals and secondary metabolites contributing to the aroma or flavor of cannabis.
(qqq) “THC” or “delta-9 THC” means the compound tetrahydrocannabinol, CAS number 1972-08-3. “Total THC” is defined in section 15700(rrr).
(rrr) “Tincture” means a solution of cannabis extract, derived either directly from the cannabis plant or from a manufactured cannabis extract, dissolved in alcohol, glycerin, or vegetable oils. For purposes of this definition, “vegetable” includes botanically classified fruits and vegetables and their seeds.
(sss) “Topical cannabis product” means a cannabis product intended to be applied to the skin rather than ingested or inhaled.
(ttt) “Track and trace system” means the program for reporting the movement of cannabis and cannabis products through the distribution chain established by the Department in accordance with section 26067 of the Act.
(uuu) “Transport” means the physical movement of cannabis or cannabis products from one licensed premises to another licensed premises.
(vvv) “Unique identifier” or “UID” means an alphanumeric code or designation used for reference to a specific plant and any cannabis or cannabis product derived or manufactured from that plant.
(www) “Universal symbol” means the symbol developed by the Department pursuant to section 26130(c)(7) of the Act to indicate that a product contains cannabinoids.
(xxx) “Vehicle alarm system” is a device or series of devices installed to discourage theft of the vehicle or its contents and is intended to summon general attention or to summon law enforcement as a result of an indication of an attempted breach of the vehicle.
(yyy) “Volatile solvent” means any solvent that is or produces a flammable gas or vapor that, when present in the air in sufficient quantities, will create explosive or ignitable mixtures. Examples of volatile solvents include, but are not limited to, butane, hexane, and propane.
(zzz) “Watts per square foot” means the sum of the maximum wattage of all lights identified in the designated canopy area(s) in the premises diagram divided by the sum of the dimensions in square feet of the same designated canopy area(s).
(aaaa) “Wholesale cost” has the meaning stated in title 18, California Code of Regulations, section 3700.
Authority: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
§15000.1. General Requirements.
(a) Every person who conducts commercial cannabis activity shall obtain and maintain a valid license from the Department for each separate premises at which commercial cannabis activity is conducted.
(b) Commercial cannabis activity shall only be conducted between licensees. Licensed retailers and licensed microbusinesses authorized to engage in retail sales may conduct commercial cannabis activity with customers or nonprofits in accordance with this division.
(c) The licensee shall only conduct commercial cannabis activities authorized by the license and on the premises licensed for the activity.
(d) All transfers of cannabis and cannabis product shall be conducted by a licensed distributor.
(e) Licenses shall not be transferrable or assignable to another person or premises, except as provided in section 26050.2 of the Business and Professions Code. In the event of the sale or other transfer of the commercial cannabis business, changes in ownership shall be made in accordance with section 15023.
(f) Applicants and licensees shall use their legal business name on all documents related to commercial cannabis activity.
Authority: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Sections 26012, 26053, 26057 and 26070, Business and Professions Code.
§15000.2. A- and M-Designations.
(a) Licensees may conduct business with other licensees irrespective of the A- designation or M-designation on their licenses.
(b) Licensees authorized to engage in distribution shall only transport and sell cannabis goods designated as “For Medical Use Only” to M-designated retailers or M-designated microbusinesses authorized to engage in retail sales.
(c) Licensees authorized to engage in retail sales shall only sell cannabis goods designated as “For Medical Use Only” to medicinal customers.
Authority: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Sections 26001, 26013, 26050 and 26053, Business and Professions Code.
§15000.3. Premises Requirements.
(a) A licensed premises shall not be in a location that requires persons to pass through a business that sells alcohol or tobacco or a private residence to access the licensed premises.
(b) A licensed premises shall not be in a location that requires persons to pass through the licensed premises to access a business that sells alcohol or tobacco or a private residence.
(c) A licensed premises shall not include the living areas of a private residence, such as bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms, unless living areas are required to be included in the licensed premises. If the local jurisdiction requires living areas of a private residence to be included in the licensed premises, licensees shall designate living areas on their premises diagram as required by section 15006(k) but shall not conduct any commercial cannabis activity within the designated living areas. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a licensee from utilizing the living areas of a private residence for non- commercial cannabis activity, such as staff breaks. Areas of a private residence that are not considered to be living areas may include garages, offices, sheds, barns, and other areas regularly used for commercial cannabis activity.
(d) Licensees shall ensure that the Department has immediate access to their licensed premises. If the Department is denied access to a licensee’s premises for any reason, the licensee shall be held responsible and subject to discipline. If the Department is denied access to one licensee’s premises because of another licensee’s refusal to grant access when the only access to one licensed premises is through another licensed premises, all licensees shall be held responsible and subject to discipline.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit two or more licensed premises from occupying separate portions of the same parcel of land or sharing common use areas, such as a bathroom, breakroom, hallway, or building entrance.
(f) All structures included as part of the licensed premises shall be permanent structures. Structures that are considered permanent structures include, but are not limited to, buildings, barns, sheds, shipping containers, and modular buildings. Structures that are not considered to be permanent structures include, but are not limited to, structures that rest on wheels or any structure that can be readily moved.
(g) Personal cultivation of cannabis as permitted by Health and Safety Code section 11362.1 shall not occur on the licensed premises unless the local jurisdiction requires that all areas of the land parcel be included in the premises. If the local jurisdiction requires all areas of the land parcel be included, then the licensee may conduct personal cultivation in a separate and distinct area on the premises, which shall be identified on the premises diagram pursuant to section 15006. “Separate and distinct,” for purposes of this section, shall mean that the personally cultivated cannabis is cultivated, processed, and stored in a manner that clearly identifies it as personally cultivated cannabis and prevents it from coming into contact with commercially cultivated cannabis.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a licensed premises that is not in compliance with subsections (c) and (f) at the time this subsection becomes effective shall come into compliance within six months of the effective date of this subsection by submitting a premises modification in accordance with section 15027. Premises that must be modified to comply with this subsection shall not be subject to the premises modification fee specified in section 15014.
Authority: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Sections 26012, 26050, 26051.5, 26054, 26055 and 26160, Business and Professions Code.
§15000.4. Subletting of Premises.
Except as allowed pursuant to article 2 of chapter 8, a licensee shall not sublet or allow another person to conduct operations in any area designated as the licensed premises for the licensee’s commercial cannabis activity.
Authority: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Sections 26012 and 26070, Business and Professions Code.
§15000.5. Licensee’s Responsibility for Acts of Employees and Agents.
In construing and enforcing the provisions of the Act and the regulations in this division, the act, omission, or failure of an agent, officer, representative, or other person acting for or employed by a licensee, within the scope of their employment or office, shall in every case be deemed the act, omission, or failure of the licensee.
Authority: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Sections 26031 and 26110, Business and Professions Code.
§15000.6. Age Restriction.
Employees or persons retained by a licensee to work within or on a licensed premises or to handle cannabis or cannabis products shall be at least 21 years of age.
Authority: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Section 26140, Business and Professions Code.
§15000.7. Storage of Inventory.
(a) All cannabis and cannabis products must be stored within the licensed premises.
(b) A licensee shall not store cannabis goods outdoors.
(c) Bathrooms and changing facilities shall be separated from all storage areas by solid walls that extend from the floor to the ceiling. Employee break areas, if any, shall be separate and distinct from areas where cannabis and cannabis products are stored.
(d) Licensees may use additional shipping containers as temporary storage space on their licensed premises when their storage needs exceed the capacity of their storage space. Licensees using storage containers pursuant to this subsection shall notify the Department of the premises modification in accordance with subsection (h) of section 15027.
Authority: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Sections 26012, 26053 and 26070, Business and Professions Code.