CA SB435

Amends Section 11362.777 of the Health and Safety Code to clarify that exemptions from state medical marijuana cultivation licensing requirements do not prevent cities, counties, or city and counties from exercising police power authority under the California Constitution.

Maintains existing exemptions allowing qualified patients to cultivate up to 100 square feet of marijuana for personal medical use and primary caregivers to cultivate up to 500 square feet for up to five specified patients without state licensure.

Requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish a unique identification program for medical marijuana plants to track and monitor cultivation, with identifiers issued only to appropriately licensed persons.

Allows cities, counties, or city and counties to regulate, ban, or otherwise control cultivation activities by exempt persons through their police power authority.

Specifies that the Department of Food and Agriculture shall serve as the sole licensing authority for medical marijuana cultivation applicants in jurisdictions that do not have local land use regulations or choose not to administer a conditional permit program, effective March 1, 2016.