SB 1097 (Pan) - The Cannabis Right to Know Act

Please support Senate Bill 1097, The Cannabis Right to Know Act, as is. This important legislation, authored by Senator Pan and co-authored by Assemblymembers Irwin and McCarty, will help create a safer legal cannabis market by making available more accurate and science-based health and safer-use information to consumers, allowing Californians to make informed decisions when using California cannabis.

SB 1097 will:

• Require retailers to offer new consumers and make visibly available a CDPH and DCC designed one page flyer that:
• Encourages legal over illicit cannabis purchases by including a why “Buy Legal” health message.
• Provides unbiased facts regarding simple steps for safer use of cannabis, based on state of the science recommendations, like “Start low and go slow.”
• Clearly communicates key health warning messages on mental health, edible absorption, driving, use during pregnancy, and other clearly established risks.
• Add warnings on key, currently omitted, mental health risks from cannabis use to cannabis product labels and inserts.

A perfect storm of factors create an urgent need for SB 1097. Current health information is only provided in hard to see six-point font and even allowed to be hidden on the back of peel-off labels or inside boxes/packaging. It says nothing about cannabis' well-recognized mental health effects, which have been exacerbated by the market shift to turbocharged, ultra-high THC products. Daily or near daily use has tripled across California since 2008. Use by pregnant women in California nearly doubled, going from 4.5% to 8% between 2009 and 2018, and California emergency room visits for cannabis related diagnoses, including psychosis, have skyrocketed. Proliferation of higher potency cannabis products, flavored products like those the legislature recently prohibited for tobacco, for example grape vapes, ones that mimic candy or products marketed to kids, and luscious edibles appealing to children, have driven increasing numbers of Californians to suffer from preventable adverse effects.

We respectfully request that you support SB 1097 to fulfill our responsibility to educate consumers and protect our children and youth.

SB 1097 is supported by the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – California, American Academy of Pediatrics – California, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Public Health Institute, Youth Forward, Santa Clara County, County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, and over 50 other youth, substance abuse and public health organizations and individuals and endorsed by the LA Times Editorial Board.