Bill Text: CA SB753 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 753

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Cannabis: water resources.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2023-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 504, Statutes of 2023. [SB753 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB753-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly June 29, 2023

Amended IN Senate May 18, 2023

Amended IN Senate March 20, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 753

Introduced by Senator Caballero
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Megan Dahle)
(Coauthors: Senators Dahle, Hurtado, and Stern)

February 17, 2023

An act to amend Section 11358 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to cannabis.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 753, as amended, Caballero. Cannabis: water resources.

Existing law, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), approved by the voters as Proposition 64 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, regulates the cultivation, distribution, transport, storage, manufacturing, testing, processing, sale, and use of marijuana for nonmedical purposes by people 21 years of age and older. Under AUMA, a person 18 years of age or older who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes more than 6 living cannabis plants, or any part thereof, may be charged with a felony if specified conditions exist, including when the offense causes substantial environmental harm to public lands or other public resources.

AUMA authorizes the Legislature to amend its provisions by a ²/₃ vote of each house if the amendment furthers its purposes and intent.

This bill would ~~add~~ amend AUMA by adding to the above-described conditions planting, cultivating, harvesting, drying, or processing marijuana that results in substantial environmental harm to surface or groundwater. The bill would, notwithstanding these provisions, make it a crime for a person 18 years of age or older to plant, cultivate, harvest, dry, or process more than 50 living cannabis plants, or any part thereof, except as specified, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for up to 6 months or by a fine of not more than $500, or both, or be charged with a felony, if specified conditions exist, including a violation of pesticide provisions, taking or using water from a conveyance or storage facility without permission, and extraction or use of groundwater from an unpermitted well or from a permitted well in excess of a restriction, as specified. By expanding the scope of a ~~crime and creating new crimes,~~ crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 11358 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

11358.

Each person who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes cannabis plants, or any part thereof, except as otherwise provided by law, shall be punished as follows:

(a) Each person under 18 years of age who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes any cannabis plants shall be punished in the same manner provided in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 11357.

(b) Each person at least 18 years of age but less than 21 years of age who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes not more than six living cannabis plants shall be guilty of an infraction and a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100).

(c) Each person 18 years of age or over who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes more than six living cannabis plants shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not more than six months or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), a person 18 years of age or over who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes more than six living cannabis plants, or any part thereof, except as otherwise provided by law, may be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code if any of the following conditions exist:

(1) The person has one or more prior convictions for an offense specified in clause (iv) of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 667 of the Penal Code or for an offense requiring registration pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 290 of the Penal Code.

(2) The person has two or more prior convictions under subdivision (c).

(3) The offense resulted in any of the following:

(A) Violation of Section 1052 of the Water Code relating to illegal diversion of water.

(B) Violation of Section 13260, 13264, 13272, or 13387 of the Water Code relating to discharge of water.

(D) Violation of Section 1602 of the Fish and Game Code relating to rivers, streams, and lakes.

(E) Violation of Section 374.8 of the Penal Code relating to hazardous substances or Section 25189.5, 25189.6, or 25189.7 of the Health and Safety Code relating to hazardous waste.

(F) Violation of Section 2080 of the Fish and Game Code relating to endangered and threatened species or Section 3513 of the Fish and Game Code relating to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, or Section 2000 of the Fish and Game Code relating to the unlawful taking of fish and wildlife.

(G) Intentionally or with gross negligence causing substantial environmental harm to surface or ground water, public lands, or other public resources.

(e)Notwithstanding subdivision (c), a person 18 years of age or older who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes more than 50 living cannabis plants, or any part thereof, except as otherwise provided by law, may be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not more than six months or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by both fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code if the offense involves any of the following:
~~(1)A violation of any provision of Division 7 (commencing with Section 12500) of the Food and Agricultural Code relating to pesticides.~~
~~(2)Taking or using of water from conveyance or storage facilities without the permission of the owner.~~
(3)Extraction or use of groundwater from an unpermitted well, or from a permitted well in excess of any restriction established pursuant to Part 2.74 (commencing with Section 10720) of Division 6 of the Water Code or by local ordinance.

SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.