California marijuana industry safety and health bill penned into law

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation requiring at least one employee and manager of all licensed marijuana businesses to undergo job-related safety and health training, his office announced Sunday.

The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, sponsored by Rep. Reggie Jones-Sawyer, a Democrat from Los Angeles, specifically calls for:

• At least one supervisor and one employee to successfully complete a Cal/OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) 30-hour industry course offered by an authorized training provider.
• Complete training within a year of the cannabis business receiving its license or having its license renewed.

James Araby, executive director of the United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council, applauded the legislation as a move to help prevent unnecessary harm in an industry where thousands of workers face health and safety risks.

He noted in a statement that industry employees “work with heavy machinery and are exposed to cannabis byproducts and chemicals in laboratories where testing is done on a daily basis. Workers must know how to be safe and how to report violations.”

Other organizations that supported the legislation include:

• California Labor Federation AFL-CIO
• California Police Chiefs Association
• California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
• United Cannabis Business Association