Bill > AB2249

This bill, starting January 1, 2028, establishes a clear legal definition for what makes cannabis marketing, packaging, and labeling "attractive to children"—meaning designed or likely to appeal to individuals under 21, the legal age for purchasing cannabis in California—by explicitly banning features like cartoons, images of minors, youth-oriented celebrities, magical creatures, imagery of popular children's foods, bubble-style fonts, and the words "candy" or "kandee." Additionally, the legislation prohibits cannabis products from mimicking non-cannabis products marketed to kids, bans overly stylized fruit depictions on edibles and vape cartridges while still allowing realistic ingredient labeling, and grants the Department of Cannabis Control (the state agency responsible for licensing and regulating commercial cannabis businesses) the authority to create rules for other high-risk design elements. Finally, to help businesses that hold state cannabis licenses follow these rules, the bill requires the department to create educational resources and self-evaluation tools, such as automated compliance checkers that can provide informal advisory opinions.