(a) Notwithstanding Section 34012, on and after the operative date of the act adding this section, the cultivation tax shall not be imposed on medicinal cannabis designated for donation by a cultivator in the track and trace system.
(b) A person licensed under Division 10 (commencing with Section 26000) of the Business and Professions Code that certifies in writing that medicinal cannabis or a medicinal cannabis product will be donated to a medicinal cannabis patient and sells or uses the medicinal cannabis or medicinal cannabis product in some manner or for some purpose other than donation, shall be liable for the taxes under this part. The certification in writing shall relieve the cultivator that donates the medicinal cannabis from liability for the taxes imposed and shall relieve the distributor from liability for the taxes required to be collected under this part, only if the certification is taken in good faith.
(c) A distributor or manufacturer shall not collect or remit the cultivation tax for medicinal cannabis or medicinal cannabis products designated for donation by a cultivator.
(d) A cultivator shall keep records of any medicinal cannabis or medicinal cannabis products designated for donation.
(e) Nothing in this part shall be construed to impose a cultivation tax upon medicinal cannabis or medicinal cannabis products designated for donation.
(f) For purposes of this section, “medicinal cannabis” and “medicinal cannabis product” shall mean cannabis and cannabis product, as defined in Section 26001 of the Business and Professions Code, intended for use pursuant to the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (Proposition 215), found in Section 11362.5 of the Health and Safety Code, by a medicinal cannabis patient.
(g) (1) This section shall become operative upon completion of the necessary changes to the track and trace program in order to implement the act adding this section, as determined by the Department of Food and Agriculture, or on March 1, 2020, whichever occurs first.
(2) This section shall remain in effect only until five years after it becomes operative, and as of that date is repealed.
(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 837, Sec. 12. (SB 34) Effective January 1, 2020. Operative on or before March 1, 2020, as prescribed by its own conditions. Repealed on the date prescribed by its own conditions.)