AB 873: CDFA Agents Power of Peace Officer
Updated: Dec 20, 2019
Over the last year the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the agency governing cannabis cultivation licenses, has received far more Cultivation Applications than it could process in a timely manner. Accordingly, the agency has fallen behind on processing licenses and many illegal cannabis cultivators wishing to break into the legal market are left with few choices, one being, to continue growing illegally.
In February a report was released by the California Growers Association which showed that only 1% of the cultivations in California are licensed by the state to perform such activities. This recurring theme of the Black Market’s control over the cannabis industry in California has increasingly deterred many people from breaking into the legal market. Since many local enforcement agencies do not have the resources to regulate all of the illegal cannabis cultivation operations in their jurisdictions and the greater state, California passed Assembly Bill 873. The Bill grants CDFA agents the authority of a peace officer, which includes the power to arrest and to serve warrants for unlawful cannabis activity.
This is big news for the legal cannabis industry in California, as it will likely lead to many more illegal cannabis cultivations being shut down which will give legal cultivators a competitive chance in the cannabis market in California. The bill effectively lightens the load for local law enforcement with respect to illegal cannabis cultivation by allowing CDFA agents to perform arrests and serve warrants in a similar fashion as normal peace officers. With the passing of AB 873 we should see a lot more illegal cultivations getting shut down in 2019 and beyond, which will provide market stability by allowing legal cultivations to rightfully gain control of the market.
GreenCP California Cannabis Legislation Article Links:
AB 1793: Overturning Prior Cannabis Convictions
AB 2020: Cannabis Event Licensing
AB 2215: Cannabis for Pets
AB 2402: MJ Consumer Information
AB 2721: Cannabis Testing Laboratories
AB 2799: Cal OSHA Cannabis Business Requirements
AB 2899: Cannabis Marketing & Advertisement
AB 2914: CBD & THC Infused Beverages
SB 1294: California’s Cannabis Equity Act
SB 1409: Commercial Hemp Cultivators
SB 1459: California Provisional Cannabis License