California Just Raised the Bar on Cannabis Transparency. Good.

When I started in this industry, almost nobody asked to see a lab result. People asked what was strong, what was new, and what was on sale. Whether the number on the label was right mostly came down to trust.

That's changing, and last weekend Governor Newsom pushed it further by signing AB 1965 and AB 2250. I think these two bills are good news for anyone who buys cannabis in California, and for anyone who sells it the right way.

What actually changed

AB 1965 makes it explicit that every cannabis product sold in the state is subject to testing or retesting. It also lets the Department of Cannabis Control pull products off the shelf for independent lab testing. Retailers now have to hand over a product's certificate of analysis if a customer asks for it. And the labs themselves will be put through performance testing, so results are consistent from one lab to the next.

AB 2250 is more technical but just as important. It expands the state's track-and-trace system to cover the whole chain, from cultivation and harvest through manufacturing, distribution, inventory, sale and delivery. It clarifies how authorities can seize non-compliant product, and it excludes CBN isolate from the definition of cannabis concentrate, following the earlier change for CBD isolate. It also bars businesses that sell cigarettes and tobacco products from selling cannabis.

Why I'm glad to see it

Consumers shouldn't need a chemistry degree to feel confident about what they're buying. A certificate of analysis is the closest thing we have to an ingredient list you can verify. If a customer asks for one at our counter, the answer should be “of course,” not “let me check.” Now that's the law for everyone, and it levels the playing field.

The lab provisions matter just as much. Testing only protects people if the labs are accurate and consistent. We've all heard stories about inflated THC numbers and results that differ from lab to lab. Proficiency testing won't fix everything overnight, but it's the right way to rebuild confidence in the numbers.

Broader track-and-trace coverage helps legitimate operators too. Those of us who run clean, documented, compliant operations aren't worried about more visibility. We're competing against an illicit market that has no testing, no tracking and no accountability, and every step that makes the legal market more trusted makes it easier to win those customers over.

What's still unfinished

I don't want to oversell this. Compliance is expensive, and California's legal market is still dealing with high taxes and real pressure on operators. Transparency rules help, but they don't fix the economics.

Still, there's a clear direction here. California's cannabis market is growing up, and the question is shifting from “is it legal?” to “is it trustworthy?” Dispensaries, brands and labs that treat transparency as a core part of the job will do well. The ones that treat it as a burden won't.

At Off The Charts, we've always believed that educated customers are better customers. If you shop with us, ask to see the test results. You should get an answer without any friction, and now every retailer in the state has to give you one.