The California Assembly has unanimously passed legislation to delay a planned increase in the state’s cannabis excise tax.
Introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney, Assembly Bill 564 would postpone scheduled changes to the state’s marijuana excise tax until the 2030–31 fiscal year. The proposal was passed by the Assembly 74 to 0, sending it to the Senate for consideration.
Under current law, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration must begin reviewing and potentially increasing the excise tax every two years starting in 2025. This review process is intended to compensate for revenue lost from the elimination of the state’s marijuana cultivation tax. AB 564 would delay that process by five years.
The marijuana excise tax currently stands at 15% of a product’s retail price, with a legal maximum of 19%. AB 564 preserves the 15% rate for now and maintains the existing system that allows future adjustments based on estimated lost cultivation tax revenue—though such adjustments wouldn’t take effect until 2030.
The legislation is intended to provide immediate tax relief to the state’s legal marijuana industry. It also includes a requirement for the Department of Tax and Fee Administration to submit annual reports to the Legislature starting December 1, 2026, outlining the fiscal impact of delaying the tax change.
Unless renewed, the tax delay provision in AB 564 would expire on January 1, 2031.
