Yet more bills that Agri-Pulse has been tracking throughout the year—and since December for some—have gained the stroke of Gov. Newsom’s pen.
He signed a measure on industrial hemp this week that has divided the agriculture community. AB 45 creates a regulatory structure for legalizing nontoxic hemp CBD products. The Cannabis Hemp Council supported the bill, saying it would kickstart an industry worth $2 billion annually.
The California Farm Bureau opposed provisions that apply the same level of THC testing as cannabis, despite hemp being a federally recognized ag commodity. The bill also raised concerns over setting limits on smokable products, which the author said will be addressed in future legislation.
Newsom also signed a bill providing legal protections for prescribed burns that prevent the spread of wildfires. The California Cattlemen’s Association supported the measure, arguing the practice protects ranches, but the liability has disincentivized burn bosses. Insurers called it poor policy to reduce accountability for “one of the most dangerous things one can do in California—start a wildfire.”
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On the note of wood waste, Newsom has signed a bill reversing a surprise veto he delivered last year. The bill re-authorizes alternative management standards for treated wood waste. His veto of a similar measure last year left those seeking to get rid of hazardous waste with high costs and a complex system for delivering it to a waste disposal facility.
