Taxes

A greenhouse full of cannabis plants with a white sign in the center that reads "Going Out of Business." Sunlight streams through the windows, reflecting challenges faced by California’s cannabis industry. CA Norml

AB 564 to Keep CA’s Cannabis Industry Alive By Halting a Tax Increase Passes Asm. Revenue and Tax Committee

WRITE TO YOUR LEGISLATORS AND GOV. NEWSOM AND ASK THEM NOT TO RAISE CANNABIS TAXES IN 2025 Update 5/8/2025 – While AB 564 goes to Assembly Appropriations, the Governor and both legislative houses are finalizing their budgets for the year. Please Take Action on our New Alert Targeted at the Full Legislature and the Governor, …

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Infographic compares cannabis taxes to other products. A pre-roll faces a $1.57 tax at 19%, while beer, wine, liquor, and tobacco have lower rates. Headline highlights Cal NORML's warning of California's potential tax increase unless action is taken by bill sponsors. CA Norml

Cal NORML Sponsors Bill to Block Cannabis Tax Increase

UPDATE 5/8/2025 – Please take action on our new alert targeted at the full legislature and the Governor, asking them not to increase cannabis taxes in 2025. California is set to increase its excise tax on cannabis from 15% to as much as 19% starting on July 1, 2025, as part of a budget compromise …

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A bar chart comparing California state excise taxes on various products: 5 oz wine (1¢), 12 oz beer (2¢), 1.5 oz liquor (4-8¢), a single tobacco cigarette (14¢), and a 0.5 gram cannabis joint ($1.10). The cannabis joint, affected by what some deem "unfair taxation," has the highest CA Norml

Support SB 512, To Help End Unfair Taxation of Cannabis

DOWNLOAD A FLYER ABOUT CANNABIS TAX FAIRNESS IN CALIFORNIA UPDATE 7/10/2023 – SB 512 (Bradford), to end double taxation on cannabis by including state and local excise taxes when calculating other taxes, was held in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation committee and will likely not advance this year in its present form. Committee chair Jacqui …

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Gov. Newsom stands at a podium labeled "GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA," speaking with U.S. and state flags behind him. A nearby screen displays "THE CALIFORNIA BLUEPRINT: CANNABIS," discussing cannabis cultivation tax reductions and government grants, while a sign language interpreter is shown. CA Norml

Gov. Newsom Proposes Ending Cannabis Cultivation Tax in California

At Gov. Newsom’s press conference this morning announcing his May budget revision, he was asked about his proposal to end the cannabis cultivation tax while keeping the state excise tax at 15%, while granting authority to raise the tax to as much as 19% if tax revenues fall below $670 million as soon as January …

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A woman stands and speaks at a public hearing titled "GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE: 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 4, 2022." A nameplate below reads "Pamela Lopez, California NORML," highlighting the issue of cannabis tax relief. Another woman sits beside her in the audience area. CA Norml

California Cannabis Consumers Call for Tax Relief

With California’s legal cannabis industry in dire straits due to high taxes and regulatory costs,  California NORML called on legislators to pass a tax relief bill by Sen. Bradford (SB 1281) at a hearings before the State Senate Governance and Finance Committee on May 4. The Bradford bill would eliminate the state cultivation tax, which …

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