(a) A licensee shall dispose of all waste in accordance with the Public Resources Code and any other applicable state and local laws. It is the responsibility of the licensee to properly evaluate waste to determine if it should be designated and handled as a hazardous waste, as defined in Public Resources Code section 40141.
(b) A licensee shall establish and implement a written cannabis waste management plan that describes the method or methods by which the licensee will dispose of cannabis waste, as applicable to the licensee's activities. A licensee shall dispose of cannabis waste using only the following methods:
(1) On-premises composting of cannabis waste.
(2) Collection and processing of cannabis waste by a local agency, a waste hauler franchised or contracted by a local agency, or a private waste hauler permitted by a local agency in conjunction with a regular organic waste collection route.
(3) Self-haul cannabis waste to one or more of the following:
(A) A staffed, fully permitted solid waste landfill or transformation facility;
(B) A staffed, fully permitted composting facility or staffed composting operation;
(C) A staffed, fully permitted in-vessel digestion facility or staffed in-vessel digestion operation;
(D) A staffed, fully permitted transfer/processing facility or staffed transfer/processing operation;
(E) A staffed, fully permitted chip and grind operation or facility; or
(F) A recycling center as defined in title 14, California Code of Regulations, section 17402.5(d) that meets the following:
(i) The cannabis waste received shall contain at least ninety (90) percent inorganic material;
(ii) The inorganic portion of the cannabis waste is recycled into new, reused, or reconstituted products that meet the quality standards necessary to be used in the marketplace; and
(iii) The organic portion of the cannabis waste shall be sent to a facility or operation identified in subsections (b)(3)(A)-(E).
(4) Reintroduction of cannabis waste back into agricultural operation through on-premises organic waste recycling methods including, but not limited to, tilling directly into agricultural land and no-till farming.
(c) The licensee shall maintain any cannabis waste in a secured waste receptacle or secured area on the licensed premises until the time of disposal. Physical access to the receptacle or area shall be restricted to the licensee, employees of the licensee, the local agency, waste hauler franchised or contracted by the local agency, or private waste hauler permitted by the local agency only. Nothing in this subsection prohibits licensees from using a shared waste receptacle or area with other licensees, provided that the shared waste receptacle or area is secured and access is limited as required by this subsection.
(d) A licensee that disposes of waste through an entity described in subsection (b)(2) shall do all of the following:
(1) Maintain and make available to the Department upon request the business name, address, contact person, and contact phone number of the entity hauling the waste; and
(2) Obtain documentation from the entity hauling the waste that evidences subscription to a waste collection service.
(e) If a licensee is self-hauling cannabis waste as allowed by the local jurisdiction, the licensee shall be subject to all of the following requirements:
(1) Self-hauled cannabis waste shall only be transported by the licensee or its employees;
(2) Self-hauled cannabis waste shall only be transported to a facility specified in subsection (b)(3); and
(3) The licensee or its employee who transports the waste shall obtain for each delivery of cannabis waste a copy of a certified weight ticket or receipt from the solid waste facility.
(f) A batch of cannabis or cannabis products that is being disposed of because the batch has failed internal quality testing, quality assurance review by a distributor, or regulatory compliance testing shall comply with the following additional requirements:
(1) All cannabis or cannabis products in the batch shall be rendered unusable prior to disposal;
(2) Rendering of the cannabis or cannabis products shall be done under video surveillance, unless the rendering is performed by a licensee engaging in cultivation activities on a licensed premises authorized exclusively for cultivation activities or the cultivation area of a licensed microbusiness premises; and
(3) The reason for disposal and the disposition of the batch shall be noted in the track and trace system.
Credits
Note: Authority cited: Sections 26013 and 26130, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 26011.5 and 26130, Business and Professions Code.
History
1. New section filed 9-27-2021 as an emergency; operative 9-27-2021 (Register 2021, No. 40). This filing is a deemed emergency pursuant to Business and Professions Code sections 26013(b)(3) and 26153.1(k). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 3-28-2022 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
2. New section refiled 3-28-2022 as an emergency; operative 3-28-2022 (Register 2022, No. 13). This filing is a deemed emergency pursuant to Business and Professions Code sections 26013(b)(3) and 26153.1(k). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 9-26-2022 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
3. Certificate of Compliance as to 3-28-2022 order, including amendment of subsections (b)(3)(A)-(E), transmitted to OAL 9-26-2022 and filed 11-7-2022; amendments effective 11-7-2022 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2022, No. 45).
This database is current through 4/19/24 Register 2024, No. 16.
