Monterey County Office of the District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni, District Attorney May 24, 2024 Honorable,*

- Criminal/Civil penalties for most illicit business activities may be adjudicated as a misdemeanor by the District Attorney's office with less than a year probation and/or a fine of $1,000 or less, resulting in an ineffective deterrent system. California voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016, significantly reducing criminal penalties for unlicensed cannabis activities. This proposition reduced and reclassified most cannabis-related crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Additionally, in 2021, California Assembly Bill 1950 amended state laws, reducing misdemeanor probation terms from three (3) years to one (1) year for most cannabis offenses. The District Attorney's Office may only pursue remedies that align with these new laws. Therefore, the District Attorney currently has very little discretion to pursue felony convictions for cannabis related offenses. Despite these changes in law, the District Attorney will continue to enforce cannabis laws and regulations to the maximum extent possible as appropriate under the law.