In case you missed it, on June 27, 2017, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). MAUCRSA repealed the Medical Cannabis Regulation Safety and Safety Act (MCRSA) while consolidating some of the MCRSAs provisions with the licensing provisions of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). Our firm just recently held a webinar on the major changes between the MCRSA and MAUCRSA and what California cannabis businesses can expect from Californias Bureau of Cannabis Control (be sure to check in regularly as well be posting the webinar on our site in the next couple of days). During the webinar we addressed a whole host of questions but dueto the numberof attendees (nearly 1,500 of you signed up) and the volume of questions, we couldnt get to all of them. Fret not though my friends, as over the coming days well be answering many of your questions here on the Canna Law Blog. As a matter of fact, how about I start now and discuss a topic on which we received a lot of questions: onsite consumption at cannabis events (where such events have slowly started to fade because of robust state cannabis regulationssee here and here).
The AUMA granted local jurisdictions the authority to decide whether smoking, vaporizing, and ingesting cannabis would be allowed by a retailer or a microbusiness. Ultimately, the ability to provide a unique and personal experience via onsite consumption will enhance California cannabis retailers and microbusinesses abilities to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Onsite consumption will also prove to be a big advantage for California cannabis businesses bordering Nevada, as state regulators there grapple with the issue of onsite consumption.
The MAUCRSA also built on the AUMAs concept of onsite consumption by allowing for temporary event licenses for onsite cannabis sales and consumption at district agricultural association events and your local county fairjust when you thought churros couldnt get any better! Does that sound too good to be true? Well thats because I havent mentioned the following caveats:
- Only a licensee can receive the temporary event license;
- Your local jurisdiction has to authorize such events in the first place;
- Access to the area where cannabis consumption is allowed is restricted to persons 21 years of age and older;
- Cannabis consumption is not visible from any public place or nonage-restricted area; and
- Sale or consumption of alcohol or tobacco is not allowed on the premises. Sorry, but no jamming out to Phish with a beer and a pre-roll in your future.
The MAUCRSA also states the activities at such events must be otherwise consistent with regulations promulgated and adopted by the Bureau [of Cannabis Control] governing state temporary event licenses. What are these regulations you ask? Unfortunately we wont know until the Bureau releases them in the fall. Normally wed look to the draft medical regulationsthe Bureau released this past April for guidance but those regulations didnt cover onsite consumption and they only apply to MCRSA (and have been withdrawn because of MAUCRSA). What we do know is theres a lot of interest in how the Bureau will interpret the definition of premises ...
