State Assemblyman Adam C. Gray (D-Merced) announced the introduction of new legislation, Assembly Bill 729, to combat the purchase and consumption of marijuana by children and people under the age of 21.

"With the legalization of recreational use marijuana under Proposition 64, it is more important than ever that safeguards are put in place to ensure marijuana stays out of the hands of children," said Gray. "Anyone that has read the proposition can see the chapter titled ‘Protecting Minors' is sparse on details to actually accomplish that goal."

AB 729 will fill in the gaps in Proposition 64 to prevent the purchase and consumption of marijuana by people under the age of 21 by applying similar laws on the books for alcohol and tobacco to marijuana. Specifically, the bill:

• Requires mandatory license suspension or revocation for repeat offenders who sell marijuana to a person under 21.

• Allows law enforcement to enter and conduct inspections of licensed locations.

• Adds implementation language for law enforcement to conduct underage sting operations.

• Requires licensed retailers to maintain an unobstructed view for law enforcement into their establishment.

• Allows retailers to seize false identification.

• Requires cultivators and retailers to post a "No Person Under 21 Allowed" sign outside and inside their business.
• Adds playground, hospital, and church to the list of locations from which a licensee may not be located within 600 feet.

"The California Legislature, and specifically the Governmental Organization Committee which I chair, has a long history of regulating age-restricted products like alcohol and tobacco," said Gray. "We have passed a number of laws to successfully reduce the use of these products by children. It is incumbent on the Legislature now to ensure the same child protections are enacted into law for California's newest age-restricted product - marijuana."