1) California Veterinarians- On September 27, 2018, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed into law Assembly Bill 2215 (Kalra, Chapter 819, Statutes of 2018). AB 2215 became effective January 1, 2019. This bill amends section 4883 of, and adds a section 4884 to, the BPC relating to veterinarians. The bill prohibits VMB from disciplining, or denying, revoking, or suspending the license of a licensed veterinarian solely for discussing the use of cannabis on an animal for medicinal purposes, absent negligence or incompetence.
2) Industrial Hemp: Under federal and state law, hemp is not a controlled substance regulated under the Uniform Controlled Substance Acts and is not regulated under the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). Rather, industrial hemp is regulated by the federal Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
3) Documentation of discussions should include the indication and safety of the use of cannabis.
4) Conflicts of Interest: A veterinarian, registered veterinary technician (RVT), or veterinary assistant controlled substance permit (VACSP) holder may be disciplined for the offer, delivery, receipt, or acceptance of any rebate, refund, commission, preference, patronage dividend, discount, or other consideration as compensation or the inducement for referring patients, clients, or customers to a cannabis licensee.
5) The Board is authorized to discipline a veterinarian who accepts, solicits, or offers any form of remuneration from or to a cannabis licensee if the veterinarian or his or her immediate family has a financial interest with a cannabis licensee.
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