A Santa Clarita teen was arrested on suspicion of a felony charge of furnishing marijuana to a minor over 14, after being arrested not far from his home Thursday.
The 19-year-old resident of 5 Knolls was picked up around 3 p.m. as the result of an “observation arrest,” according to Deputy Nicholas Hoslet of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
While Proposition 64 decriminalized marijuana possession by those 21 and over, Health Code 11361 makes it a felony to give — the law makes a different distinction for selling — marijuana to a minor 14 or over, which is punishable by up to five years in state prison, according to state law.
The suspect, whose occupation was listed as fast food, was arrested Thursday afternoon and released Friday at 4:24 a.m., according to Sheriff’s Department arrest records. He did not have a court date listed as of Friday.
The arrest took place as California lawmakers renewed an effort to crack down on minors’ access to edible marijuana, which “has a higher risk of poisoning,” according to the Department of Public Health, because users often eat more while waiting for the “high” to take effect.
On Thursday, lawmakers debated a bill in Sacramento, the Cannabis Child Safety Act, or Assembly Bill 1207, which takes aim at cracking down on poisonings involving marijuana-infused candy and other snacks that are attractive to kids.
AB 1207, authored by Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, “would implement key measures to protect children and youth, more clearly define and prohibit products, packaging and marketing that is attractive to children or teens and prohibit flavored inhaled cannabis products known to hook kids, just as flavored Juul e-cigarettes did,” according to Irwin’s office.
The bill passed the Assembly floor unanimously Thursday and now heads to the Senate. It’s one of 10 pieces of legislation proposed during the current legislative session that looks to target legal commercial cannabis activity. The bills range in topics from tracking deliveries to licensing fees to regulations for drivers.
