SACRAMENTO—Governor Newsom signed AB 2643, authored by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), a bill targeting the pervasive and detrimental effects of illicit cannabis cultivation on California's environment.
“Cannabis has been an important issue in the 2nd Assembly District for many years,” said Wood. “This bill focuses on the dangers of illicit cannabis cultivation which poses an immense threat to the California ecosystem and natural resources. In 2015, I authored AB 243, providing direction to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to restore watersheds impacted by illicit cannabis cultivation in key areas of coastal Northern California. Since the original bill passed, site restoration has not met the current need and it must continue.”
Since 2020, CDFW has completed a handful of habitat restoration projects on Trespass Cannabis Cultivation Sites (TCCS) or Complexes (TCCC) using resources from the Cannabis Restoration Grant Program. This limited progress underscores the urgent need for a more robust and systematic approach to restoration efforts.
One of the most concerning issue lies with undetected or unaddressed sites, which pose an unknown scope of environmental impact. These sites, left unaddressed, will continue to affect natural resources indefinitely.
“AB 2643 builds on the original efforts to protect and restore these lands by developing a framework for restoration projects, creating a fund dedicated to environmental remediation and improving the efficiency and transparency of eradication, reclamation and restoration operations,” said Wood.”
AB 2643 has several key provisions to address illicit cannabis cultivation and its environmental impact by requiring the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to:
- Requires CDFW to study cannabis site restoration and provide guidance for remediating environmental damage, as well as recommending technologies for detecting illicit cultivation through remote sensing and mapping.
- Establishes the Cannabis-Impacted Lands Restoration Fund to allocate enforcement fees from illicit cultivators for environmental remediation, ensuring transparency in fund usage.
- Requires CDFW to report annually to the legislature on enforcement and remediation activities, including reconnaissance, eradication, reclamation, and restoration efforts in watersheds impacted by cannabis cultivation.
- Updates all references from “controlled substance” to “cannabis or cannabis products” to maintain relevance and enforceability amid potential federal law changes.
- Excludes plant and cannabis waste from the hazardous waste definition to put DTSC in alignment with management regulations enforced by DCC, SWRCB and CalRecycle.
AB 2643 represents a critical step toward addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by illicit cannabis cultivation in California. By prioritizing habitat restoration, enhancing reconnaissance efforts, and increasing efficiency and transparency, the bill will safeguard California's environment and natural resources for future generations.
“Illicit cannabis cultivation and the offenders who damage our natural resources and wildlife must not win and we have to ensure that this restoration work be given the priority and focus it deserves,” said Wood.
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