Most cannabis events in California offer free hats and t-shirts but this could soon be over if a new bill considered by the state Legislature gets passed.
It’s called Senate Bill 162 by state Sen. Ben Allen (D). The measure would prohibit state-licensed cannabis businesses from advertising “through the use of branded merchandise, including, but not limited to, clothing, hats, or other merchandise with the name or logo of the product.”
The bill’s goal is to reduce the amount of exposure children get to ads for marijuana. It was passed 40-0 by the Senate in May and is now in the Assembly committee.
According to attorney Rebecca Stamey-White, “SB 162’s restriction on ‘advertising’ generally would give enforcement authorities the ability to shut down all cannabis merchandising.”
The bill will apply only to commercial speech by state-licensed cannabis companies while nonprofits and noncommercial speech would be exempt.
According to the executive director of the Southern California Coalition, “The bill would materially hamstring small business owners’ ability to grow in the land of opportunity. We are firmly against it, and will work to ensure lawmakers are aware of the harmful ramifications it would have.”
