Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation tightening California's restrictions on cannabis packaging, labeling, and advertising that might appeal to children. Assembly Bill 2249 responds to concerns that some products are marketed in ways attractive to minors, using cartoons, candy imagery, and other features designed to appeal to young people.
The law requires the state to establish clearer, enforceable standards identifying cannabis packaging that appeals to children, including images of cartoons, candies, and sweets, as well as products that mimic non-cannabis items marketed to children. The Department of Cannabis Control will develop guidance and resources to help businesses assess their products for compliance.
Child cannabis poisonings have increased significantly since California legalized adult-use cannabis in 2016 under Proposition 64. "These exposures are often driven by cannabis product packaging that uses features which are explicitly attractive to children, leading children to consume the products unintentionally," said Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, who authored the bill.
The legislation also restricts cartoon or overly stylized fruit imagery on edible cannabis and vape cartridge labels, while preserving realistic fruit imagery used to describe ingredients or product origin. The measure builds on prior state efforts to regulate intoxicating hemp products sold outside the regulated cannabis market, which Governor Newsom directed regulators to crack down on in 2024.