New in the Daily Journal: The Cannabis Laws of the 2026 California Legislative Session

The Daily Journal has published my article, The cannabis laws of the 2026 California legislative session (Oct. 2, 2026). The article goes through each enacted bill and explains what it changes. It draws on the Assembly and Senate bill analyses, the chaptered text and Governor Newsom’s signing and veto statements.

What the Article Covers

• AB 2249 (Stats. 2026, ch. 164) creates a statutory definition of “attractive to children,” effective Jan. 1, 2028. It also limits cartoon and overly stylized fruit imagery on edible and vape labels.
• AB 2532 (Stats. 2026, ch. 949), signed Sept. 30, adds Poison Help labeling. Starting July 1, 2027, it requires serving-size disclosures, serving lines and free measuring devices for multi-serving cannabis beverages. The 10-milligram THC per-serving limit stays in place.
• AB 1965 (Stats. 2026, ch. 564) requires retailers to give customers certificates of analysis on request. It also allows off-the-shelf testing, laboratory proficiency testing and limited retesting.
• AB 2250 (Stats. 2026, ch. 593) refines the AB 8 hemp-cannabinoid framework. Beginning in 2028, it excludes qualifying CBN isolate from “cannabis concentrate.”
• AB 2667, AB 2001 and the SB 1272 veto address disguised vapes and local enforcement tools.
• Bills that stalled, including AB 1826 on recalls and embargoes, AB 2537 on risk-based enforcement, AB 2506 on tribal-state agreements and AB 2697 on drive-throughs.

Why It Matters Now

Most of these changes take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, or on later operative dates. That gives operators time to plan. Packaging and label redesigns, beverage container changes, retailer COA procedures and hemp-product classification work best when they are handled in advance.

Read the full article in the Daily Journal.