In this on-demand continuing legal education program produced by CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar), Shay Aaron Gilmore delivers a comprehensive review of the cannabis and hemp measures enacted during California’s 2025 legislative session, translating a dense year of statutory change into practical guidance for attorneys who advise operators, investors, and ancillary businesses. The 2025 session was one of the most consequential in years, and this program walks practitioners through what actually became law, what did not, and — most importantly — what each change means for day-to-day client counseling.
The centerpiece of the discussion is AB 8, California’s sweeping hemp-cannabinoid regulatory overhaul, which fundamentally resets the rules for hemp-derived cannabinoids and, beginning January 1, 2028, requires products containing concentrated cannabinoids (other than CBD and CBN isolate) to comply with full cannabis licensing, testing, and safety standards under MAUCRSA. Gilmore explains how AB 8 reshapes the competitive landscape for hemp and cannabis operators alike, and why businesses need to begin planning for the transition now rather than waiting for the compliance deadline to arrive.
The program also covers the temporary excise-tax relief delivered by AB 564 — which rolled the state cannabis excise tax back from 19% to 15% from October 2025 through May 2028 — and the practical cash-flow implications for licensed operators. Gilmore addresses the new online-marketplace enforcement regime, including the obligations imposed on platforms to police unlicensed listings, the public reporting mechanisms they must provide, and the substantial civil liability (including treble damages and penalties up to $500,000 per violation) that can attach when platforms substantially contribute to illegal transactions. He also reviews the expedited framework for controlled-substances research and the continued evolution of the state’s compassion-program tax treatment.
Throughout, the emphasis is on counseling value: how to advise clients on structuring, compliance calendars, and risk allocation in light of the new rules, and how to anticipate the downstream regulatory activity — DCC rulemaking, CDPH and CDFA action, and local ordinance amendments — that inevitably follows a major legislative session. Attorneys leave the program with a working command of the 2025 changes and a checklist of client-facing action items.