Skip to content
2019 announcements

CDFA & CDPH – Assembly Bill 97 and Provisional Licenses

Assembly Bill 97, a trailer bill passed by the California State Legislature and signed into law earlier this month, contains provisions that modify the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). Key provisions affecting cannabis cultivators and potential applicants are highlighted below.

Provisional Licenses

Applicants are no longer required to hold or have held a temporary license to be eligible for a provisional license, and the sunset date for provisional licenses has been extended to January 1, 2022.

Provisional licensees must adhere to all statutory and regulatory requirements, including use of the California Cannabis Track-and-Trace system. To be eligible for a provisional license, the applicant must submit a complete annual license application and be in the process of complying with local ordinances and completing requirements for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

For Applicants

  • All those with pending annual license applications will be evaluated to determine eligibility for a provisional license. No action is needed from the applicant unless contacted for more information regarding an application.
  • New applicants must complete the online cannabis cultivation license application: https://aca-prod.accela.com/CALCANNABIS/. Eligibility for a provisional license will be assessed during the application review process.

Applicants with questions can contact us by calling 1-833-CALGROW (1-833-225-4769).

For Local Jurisdictions

  • We will contact the local jurisdiction during the review process to verify the applicant’s compliance with local ordinances. Once a provisional license is issued, we will maintain close communication with local jurisdictions about the status of the licensee’s authorization, including when city and county governments complete their cannabis-specific permitting and approval processes.
  • We will continue to conduct inspections and follow up with provisional and annual license holders to ensure they are meeting all state statutory and regulatory requirements.

Legislative Text

  • Assembly Bill 97
  • MAUCRSA (Business & Professions Code, Division 10)