Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 4, § 15000 - Definitions

(a) "Act" means the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, codified in Business and Professions Code section 26000, et seq.

(b) "Adulterated" or "adulteration" has the meaning stated in section 26039.6(a) of the Act.

(c) "Allergen" means a major food allergen as defined in 21 U.S.C § 321(qq).

(d) "Appellation of Origin" means a designation to indicate that the cannabis meets the requirements developed by the program established pursuant to section 26063 of the Act.

(e) "Applicant" means an owner that is applying for a Department-issued license.

(f) "Batch" means a specific quantity of homogeneous cannabis or cannabis product that is one of the following types:

(1) "Harvest batch" means a specifically identified quantity of dried flower or trim, leaves, and other cannabis plant matter that is harvested at the same time, and, if applicable, cultivated using the same pesticides and other agricultural chemicals.

(2) "Manufactured cannabis batch" or "production batch" means either:

(A) An amount of cannabis concentrate or extract produced in one production cycle using the same extraction methods and standard operating procedures; or

(B) An amount of a type of cannabis product produced in one production cycle using the same formulation and standard operating procedures.

(g) "Cannabis accessories" has the meaning stated in Health and Safety Code section 11018.2.

(h) "Cannabis concentrate" means cannabis that has undergone a process to concentrate one or more active cannabinoids, thereby increasing the product's potency. For purposes of this division, "cannabis concentrate" includes, but is not limited to, the kief, tinctures, capsules, suppositories, extracts, butter, vape cartridges, inhaled products (e.g., dab, shatter, and wax), and tablets as defined in subsection (nnn).

(i) "Cannabis goods" means cannabis and cannabis products in final form and packaged and labeled as they will be sold at retail. For the purposes of section 15311, "cannabis goods" includes all cannabis and cannabis products in any form.

(j) "Cannabis product" means cannabis that has undergone a process whereby the plant material has been transformed into a concentrate, including, but not limited to, concentrated cannabis, or an edible or topical product containing cannabis or concentrated cannabis and other ingredients.

(k) "Cannabis product quality," "quality cannabis product," or "quality" means that the cannabis product consistently meets the established specifications for identity, cannabinoid concentration, homogeneity, composition, and testing standards pursuant to sections 15718 through 15724, and has been manufactured, packaged, labeled, and held under conditions to prevent adulteration and misbranding.

(l) "Cannabis waste" means any material intended for disposal that contains cannabis but is not otherwise considered a hazardous waste. Cannabis waste consisting solely of plant material shall be considered an organic waste as defined in Public Resources Code section 42649.8(d).

(m) "Canopy" means the designated area(s) at a licensed premises that will contain mature plants at any point in time.

(n) "CBD" means the compound cannabidiol, CAS number 13956-29-1. "Total CBD" is defined in section 15700(qqq).

(o) "Commercial cannabis activity" includes the cultivation, possession, manufacture, distribution, processing, storing, laboratory testing, packaging, labeling, transportation, delivery, or sale of cannabis or cannabis products as provided for in this division, or acting as a cannabis event organizer for temporary cannabis events.

(p) "Commercial-grade, non-residential door lock" means a lock manufactured for commercial use.

(q) "Cultivation" means any activity involving the planting, growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading, or trimming of cannabis.

(r) "Cultivation site" means a location where commercial cannabis is planted, grown, harvested, dried, cured, graded, or trimmed, or a location where any combination of those activities occurs.

(s) "Delivery employee" means an individual employed by a licensed retailer or licensed microbusiness authorized to engage in retail sales who delivers cannabis goods from the licensed retailer or licensed microbusiness premises to a customer at a physical address.

(t) "Designated responsible party" means the individual identified by the commercial cannabis business who has legal authority to bind the commercial cannabis business and who is the primary contact for the application and license-related issues.

(u) "Distribution" means the procurement, sale, and transport of cannabis and cannabis products between licensees.

(v) "Dried flower" means all dead cannabis that has been harvested, dried, cured, or otherwise processed, excluding leaves and stems.

(w) "Edible cannabis product" means a cannabis product intended to be used orally, in whole or in part, for human consumption. For purposes of this division, "edible cannabis product" includes cannabis products that dissolve or disintegrate in the mouth, but does not include any product otherwise defined as "cannabis concentrate."

(x) "Extraction" means a process by which cannabinoids are separated from cannabis plant material through chemical or physical means.

(y) "Final form" refers to cannabis and cannabis products that are in the form in which the cannabis or cannabis product will be consumed or used.

(z) "Flowering" means that a cannabis plant has formed a mass of pistils measuring greater than one-half inch wide at its widest point.

(aa) "Free cannabis goods" means any amount of cannabis goods provided to any person without cost or payment or exchange of any other thing of value.

(bb) "Immature plant" or "immature" means, for purposes of cultivation: a cannabis plant that has a first true leaf measuring greater than one-half inch long from base to tip if started from seed or a mass of roots measuring greater than one-half inch wide at its widest point if vegetatively propagated and outside of a tissue container, but that is not flowering; or a container with one or more cannabis protoplasts, cells, shoots, or plantlets in culture. For retail purposes, "immature plant" or "immature" means a cannabis plant that is nonflowering and shorter and narrower than 18 inches.

(cc) "Indoor cultivation" means the cultivation of cannabis within a permanent structure using exclusively artificial light or within any type of structure using artificial light at a rate above twenty-five watts per square foot.

(dd) "Informational panel" means any part of the cannabis product label that is not the primary panel and that contains required labeling information.

(ee) "Infusion" means a process by which cannabis, cannabinoids, or cannabis concentrates are directly incorporated into a product formulation to produce a cannabis product.

(ff) "Infused pre-roll" means a pre-roll into which cannabis concentrate (other than kief) or other ingredients have been incorporated.

(gg) "Ingredient" means any substance that is used in the manufacture of a cannabis product and that is intended to be present in the finished cannabis product.

(hh) "Kief" means the resinous trichomes of cannabis that have been separated from the cannabis plant.

(ii) "Labeling" means any label or other written, printed, or graphic matter upon cannabis or a cannabis product, upon its container or wrapper, or that accompanies any cannabis or cannabis product.

(jj) "Licensee" means any person holding a license issued under the Act.

(kk) "Light deprivation" means the use of any technique to eliminate natural light in order to induce flowering.

(ll) "Limited-access area" means an area in which cannabis or cannabis products are stored or held and is only accessible to a licensee and authorized persons.

(mm) "Lot" means a batch, or specifically identified portion of a batch.

(nn) "Lot number" or "batch number" means a distinctive group of numbers, letters, or symbols or any combination of these that is unique to a group of cannabis or cannabis products.

(oo) "Manufacture" means to compound, blend, extract, infuse, or otherwise make or prepare a cannabis product.

(1) The term "manufacture" includes the following processes:

(A) Extraction.

(B) Infusion.

(C) Packaging or repackaging of cannabis products.

(D) Labeling or relabeling the packages of cannabis products.

(E) "Post-extraction processing" or "post-processing," which means a process by which one or more active cannabinoids in cannabis concentrate are further concentrated either by chemical or physical means.

(F) Remediation of failed harvest batches or cannabis product batches.

(2) The term "manufacture" does not include the following:

(A) The repacking of cannabis products from a bulk shipping container by a distributor or retailer where the product's original packaging and labeling is not otherwise altered.

(B) The preparation of pre-rolls by a licensed distributor in accordance with the requirements of section 15303.

(C) The collection of the resinous trichomes that are dislodged or sifted from the cannabis plant incidental to cultivation activities by a licensed cultivator.

(D) The processing of nonmanufactured cannabis products, as defined in subsection (eee).

(E) The labeling or relabeling of a package containing cannabis goods with the amount of cannabinoids and terpenoids based on regulatory compliance testing results by a distributor in accordance with sections 15303 and 17407.

(pp) "Manufacturing" or "manufacturing operation" means all aspects of the extraction process, infusion process, post-processing, remediation, and packaging and labeling processes, including processing, preparing, holding, and storing of cannabis products. Manufacturing also includes any processing, preparing, holding, or storing of components and ingredients.

(qq) "Mature plant" or "mature" means a cannabis plant that is flowering.

(rr) "Medicinal cannabis patient" includes both a qualified patient as defined in Health and Safety Code section 11362.7 and a person in possession of a valid identification card issued under Health and Safety Code section 11362.71.

(ss) "Mixed-light cultivation" means the cultivation of mature cannabis in a greenhouse, hoop-house, glasshouse, conservatory, hothouse, or other similar structure using a combination of:

(1) Natural light and either of the models listed below:

(A) "Mixed-light Tier 1," without the use of artificial light or the use of artificial light at a rate above zero, but no more than six watts per square foot; or

(B) "Mixed-light Tier 2," the use of artificial light at a rate above six and below or equal to twenty-five watts per square foot.

(tt) "Nonmanufactured cannabis products" means final form items that contain only cannabis, leaf, pre-roll filter tips, or paper.

(uu) "Nonvolatile solvent" means any solvent used in the extraction process that is not a volatile solvent. "Nonvolatile solvent" includes carbon dioxide, ethanol, and nonhydrocarbon-based or other solvents such as water, vegetable glycerin, vegetable oil, animal fat, and glycerin.

(vv) "Nursery" means all activities associated with producing clones, immature plants, seeds, and other agricultural products used specifically for the propagation and cultivation of cannabis.

(ww) "Orally consumed concentrate" means a cannabis concentrate that is intended to be consumed by mouth and is not otherwise an edible cannabis product. "Orally consumed concentrate" includes tinctures, capsules, and tablets as defined in subsection (nnn).

(xx) "Outdoor cultivation" means the cultivation of mature cannabis without the use of artificial lighting in the canopy area at any point in time.

(yy) "Package" or "packaging" means any container or wrapper that may be used for enclosing or containing any cannabis or cannabis product. "Package" does not include a shipping container or outer wrapping used solely for the transport of cannabis or cannabis products in bulk quantity to a licensed premises.

(zz) "Person" includes any individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, limited liability company, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, syndicate, or any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the plural as well as the singular.

(aaa) "Pest" means an undesired insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, bird, vertebrate, invertebrate, weed, virus, bacteria, or other microorganism (except microorganisms on or in living humans or other living animals) that is, or is liable to become, injurious, dangerous, or detrimental to health, the environment, or the agricultural environment of the state.

(bbb) "Pre-roll" means any combination of the following rolled in paper: flower, shake, leaf, or kief that is obtained from accumulation in containers or sifted from loose, dry cannabis flower or leaf with a mesh screen or sieve.

(ccc) "Premises" means the designated structure(s) and land specified in the application that is owned, leased, or otherwise held under the control of the applicant or licensee where the commercial cannabis activity will be or is conducted. The premises shall be a contiguous area and shall only be occupied by one licensee.

(ddd) "Primary panel" means the part of a cannabis goods label that is most likely to be displayed, presented, shown, or examined under customary conditions of display for retail sale.

(eee) "Processing" means all activities associated with the drying, curing, sifting, grading, trimming, rolling, storing, packaging, and labeling of cannabis or nonmanufactured cannabis products.

(fff) "Product Identity" or "identity of the product" means the generic, common, or usual name of a product by which it is most commonly known.

(ggg) "Promotional materials" means any form, letter, circular, pamphlet, publication, or other written material directed to a customer or prospective customer to induce retail sales. Promotional material does not include permitted signs, displays, decorations, cannabis accessories, or cannabis or cannabis products furnished by a licensed cultivator, licensed manufacturer, licensed distributor, licensed microbusiness, or licensed cannabis event organizer to a retail licensee for advertising purposes. Promotional materials shall have no intrinsic or secondary value.

(hhh) "Publicly owned land" means any building or real property that is owned, leased, or occupied by a city, county, state, federal, or other government entity.

(iii) "Quarantine" means the storage or identification of cannabis or cannabis product to prevent use, movement or transfer of the cannabis or cannabis product.

(jjj) "Residential area" is an area that is within 600 feet of any single-family or multifamily residence, other than commercial hotels, motels, and similar establishments for temporary lodging.

(kkk) "Retail area" means a building, room, or other area that is open to the public, upon the licensed retailer or licensed microbusiness premises authorized to engage in retail sales in which cannabis goods are sold or displayed.

(lll) "Serving" means the designated amount of cannabis product established by the manufacturer to constitute a single unit.

(mmm) "Sublet" means to lease or rent all or part of a leased or rented property.

(nnn) "Tablet" means a solid preparation containing a single serving of THC or other cannabinoid that is intended to be swallowed whole, not formulated to be chewable, dispersible, effervescent, orally disintegrating, used as a suspension, or consumed in a manner other than swallowed whole, and does not contain any added natural or artificial flavor or sweetener.

(ooo) "Tamper-evident" means that the cannabis goods packaging is sealed in a manner that prevents the packaging from being opened without obvious destruction of the seal.

(ppp) "Terpenes" means terpenes, terpenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and other naturally occurring phytochemicals and secondary metabolites contributing to the aroma or flavor of cannabis.

(qqq) "THC" or "delta-9 THC" means the compound tetrahydrocannabinol, CAS number 1972-08-3. "Total THC" is defined in section 15700(rrr).

(rrr) "Tincture" means a solution of cannabis extract, derived either directly from the cannabis plant or from a manufactured cannabis extract, dissolved in alcohol, glycerin, or vegetable oils. For purposes of this definition, "vegetable" includes botanically classified fruits and vegetables and their seeds.

(sss) "Topical cannabis product" means a cannabis product intended to be applied to the skin rather than ingested or inhaled.

(ttt) "Track and trace system" means the program for reporting the movement of cannabis and cannabis products through the distribution chain established by the Department in accordance with section 26067 of the Act.

(uuu) "Transport" means the physical movement of cannabis or cannabis products from one licensed premises to another licensed premises.

(vvv) "Unique identifier" or "UID" means an alphanumeric code or designation used for reference to a specific plant and any cannabis or cannabis product derived or manufactured from that plant.

(www) "Universal symbol" means the symbol developed by the Department pursuant to section 26130(c)(7) of the Act to indicate that a product contains cannabinoids.

(xxx) "Vehicle alarm system" is a device or series of devices installed to discourage theft of the vehicle or its contents and is intended to summon general attention or to summon law enforcement as a result of an indication of an attempted breach of the vehicle.

(yyy) "Volatile solvent" means any solvent that is or produces a flammable gas or vapor that, when present in the air in sufficient quantities, will create explosive or ignitable mixtures. Examples of volatile solvents include, but are not limited to, butane, hexane, and propane.

(zzz) "Watts per square foot" means the sum of the maximum wattage of all lights identified in the designated canopy area(s) in the premises diagram divided by the sum of the dimensions in square feet of the same designated canopy area(s).

(aaaa) "Wholesale cost" has the meaning stated in title 18, California Code of Regulations, section 3700.

Notes

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 4, § 15000

1. Change without regulatory effect renumbering and amending title 16, division 42 (chapters 1-8, sections 5000-5905) to new title 4, division 19 (chapters 1-8, sections 15000-15905), relocating and amending chapter 1 and article 1 from title 16, division 42 to title 4, division 19, and renumbering and amending former title 16, section 5000 to new title 4, section 15000 filed 7-14-2021 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2021, No. 29). For prior history of title 16, division 42, see Register 2019, No. 3.
2. Amendment of chapter heading, article heading and section filed 9-27-2021 as an emergency; operative 9-27-2021 (Register 2021, No. 40). This filing is a deemed emergency pursuant to Business and Professions Code sections 26013(b)(3) and 26153.1(k). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 3-28-2022 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
3. Amendment of chapter heading, article heading and section refiled 3-28-2022 as an emergency; operative 3-28-2022 (Register 2022, No. 13). This filing is a deemed emergency pursuant to Business and Professions Code sections 26013(b)(3) and 26153.1(k). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 9-26-2022 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
4. Certificate of Compliance as to 3-28-2022 order, including amendment of subsections (h)-(i), (y), (bb), (oo)(1)(A)-(F), (oo)(2)(A)-(E), (ss)(1)-(ss)(1)(B), repealer of subsections (ss)(2)-(ss)(2)(B), amendment of subsections (tt), (xx) and (eee), new subsection (ppp), subsection relettering and amendment of newly designated subsection (rrr), transmitted to OAL 9-26-2022 and filed 11-7-2022; amendments effective 11-7-2022 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2022, No. 45).

Note: Authority cited: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Section 26013, Business and Professions Code.

1. Change without regulatory effect renumbering and amending title 16, division 42 (chapters 1-8, sections 5000-5905) to new title 4, division 19 (chapters 1-8, sections 15000-15905), relocating and amending chapter 1 and article 1 from title 16, division 42 to title 4, division 19, and renumbering and amending former title 16, section 5000 to new title 4, section 15000 filed 7-14-2021 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2021, No. 29). For prior history of title 16, division 42, see Register 2019, No. 3.
2. Amendment of chapter heading, article heading and section filed 9-27-2021 as an emergency; operative 9/27/2021 (Register 2021, No. 40). This filing is a deemed emergency pursuant to Business and Professions Code sections 26013(b)(3) and 26153.1(k). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 3-28-2022 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
3. Amendment of chapter heading, article heading and section refiled 3-28-2022 as an emergency; operative 3/28/2022 (Register 2022, No. 13). This filing is a deemed emergency pursuant to Business and Professions Code sections 26013(b)(3) and 26153.1(k). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 9-26-2022 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
4. Certificate of Compliance as to 3-28-2022 order, including amendment of subsections (h)-(i), (y), (bb), (oo)(1)(A)-(F), (oo)(2)(A)-(E), (ss)(1)-(ss)(1)(B), repealer of subsections (ss)(2)-(ss)(2)(B), amendment of subsections (tt), (xx) and (eee), new subsection (ppp), subsection relettering and amendment of newly designated subsection (rrr), transmitted to OAL 9-26-2022 and filed 11/7/2022; amendments effective 11/7/2022 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2022, No. 45).