Historical Dates for California Marijuana/Cannabis Laws

In 1996, the voters of the State of California approved Proposition 215 (the “Compassionate Use Act” or “CUA”).
On January 1, 2004, the California Legislature enacted the "Medical Marijuana Program Act" or “MMPA,” to clarify the scope of the Compassionate Use Act, to establish a voluntary program for identification cards issued by counties for qualified patients and primary caregivers, and to provide criminal immunity to qualified patients and primary caregivers for certain activities involving medical marijuana, including the collective or cooperative cultivation of medical marijuana. On
October 9, 2015, Assembly Bills 243 and 266 and Senate Bill 643 (collectively, the “Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act” or “MMRSA”) were enacted to create a state regulatory and licensing system governing the cultivation, testing, and distribution of medical marijuana, the manufacturing of medical marijuana products, and physician recommendations for medical marijuana.
On June 27, 2016 Senate Bill 837 was enacted, which included a number of technical changes to the MMRSA, including renaming the act to the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (the “MCRSA”). On November 8, 2016, the voters of the State of California approved Proposition 64, known as the “Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act” (the “AUMA”), under which a variety of non-medical marijuana businesses can operate subject to local ordinances and adults 21 years of age or older may grow, possess and use limited amounts non-medical marijuana.
On June 27, 2017, the Governor signed Senate Bill 94, which repealed MCRSA, incorporated certain provisions of the MCRSA into the licensing provisions of the AUMA, and consolidated the regulatory and licensing framework for medical and adult use cannabis, with the consolidated provisions known as “Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act” (MAUCRSA).

The CUA, MMPA, and MAUCRSA are collectively known as the “State Marijuana Laws”.