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Nearly all California businesses are following state regulations that ban selling intoxicating hemp products potentially harmful to young people, state officials reported.
Data from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control shows 99.7% compliance among licensed businesses in 2025. Enforcement agents have inspected more than 11,445 establishments since September 2024, identifying only 148 locations with prohibited items.
Gov. Gavin Newsom established emergency rules through the California Department of Public Health on Sept. 6, 2024, citing concerns about public safety.
"We are doing our part to ensure intoxicating hemp products are out of the reach of vulnerable groups like children. We must always put the safety of Californians first," Newsom said.
These emergency measures prohibit retailers from selling hemp-derived food, drinks, and supplements containing intoxicating cannabinoids like THC. The rules also bar sales to consumers under the age of 21.
ABC Chief Deputy Director Frank Robles noted strong merchant cooperation with the new standards.
"Our licensees have overwhelmingly complied with the regulation," Robles said. "On the few occasions when ABC agents found items during inspections, they've ensured these harmful products are removed from shelves."
Enforcement efforts have removed 7,151 non-compliant products from store shelves. Retailers violating these restrictions may face penalties ranging from fines to potential revocation of business permits.
ABC plans ongoing compliance checks throughout California. The public can monitor enforcement progress through weekly updates posted online.
A court upheld the regulations in October 2024, rejecting attempts to block the implementation of the emergency rules against THC-containing hemp products.
California voters first approved medical cannabis in 1996 through the Compassionate Use Act, followed by recreational legalization in 2016. These laws established safety protocols requiring proper labeling, testing, and age restrictions.
State officials contend some hemp producers were circumventing these protections by marketing THC-containing products without following the same safeguards required for cannabis. These items appeared in large and smaller retail chains, often promoted for their intoxicating effects.
Multiple agencies have collaborated on enforcement, including ABC, CDPH, the Department of Cannabis Control, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, and various law enforcement organizations at state and local levels.
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