AB 1684: Local ordinances: fines and penalties: cannabis.

Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a local agency, as defined, to make, by ordinance, any violation of an ordinance subject to an administrative fine or penalty, as specified. Existing law requires the ordinance adopted by the local agency to provide for a reasonable period of time, as specified in the ordinance, for a person responsible for a continuing violation to correct or otherwise remedy the violation prior to the imposition of administrative fines or penalties, when the violation pertains to building, plumbing, electrical, or other similar structural or zoning issues that do not create an immediate danger to health or safety. Existing law authorizes the ordinance to provide for the immediate imposition of administrative fines or penalties for the violation of building, plumbing, electrical, or other similar structural, health and safety, or zoning requirements if the violation exists as a result of, or to facilitate, the illegal cultivation of cannabis, except as specified.

This bill would expand the authorization for an ordinance providing for the immediate imposition of administrative fines or penalties to include all unlicensed commercial cannabis activity, including cultivation, manufacturing, processing, distribution, or retail sale of cannabis, and would authorize the ordinance to declare unlicensed commercial cannabis activity a public nuisance. The bill would prohibit the ordinance from imposing an administrative fine or penalty exceeding $1,000 per violation or $10,000 per day. The bill would authorize the ordinance to impose the administrative fine or penalty on the property owner and each owner of the occupant business entity engaging in unlicensed commercial cannabis activity and to hold them jointly and severally liable. The bill would authorize a local agency that adopts an ordinance authorized by this provision to refer a case involving unlicensed commercial cannabis activity to the Attorney General, as specified.