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

Please support Senate Bill 1097 (D - Pan), The Cannabis Right to Know Act, a bill that will help to create a safer legal cannabis market by providing visible, science-based health and safer-use information to consumers, and encouraging use of legal products.

SB 1097 will effectively educate consumers about how to use cannabis more safely and about key well-recognized health risks associated with cannabis use. These risks, which have been exacerbated by the market shift to turbocharged, ultra-high THC products and include adverse effects on mental health, driving, infants exposed during pregnancy, lung function, and other issues, will be clearly displayed using rotating front-of-pack health messages. The bill will also require retailers to provide customers with vetted information on simple steps for safer use – like “start low and go slow.” Finally, it will encourage legal over illicit cannabis purchases by including a prominent why “Buy Legal” message. Prominent, pictorial, cannabis health information labels are a proven, and well-accepted approach to educating the public at little or no added cost.

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. Daily or near daily use has tripled in California across the state since 2008. Use by pregnant women increased by relative 25% during the pandemic, 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, 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.