AB-1785 • 2026

California Uniform Controlled Substances Act: online retailer.

Crime Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Hoover
Last action: 2026-04-23
Official status: Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on how online retailers will check if customers are buying for personal use.

California Law on Online Retailers Selling Certain Medicines

AB-1785 includes online retailers in the list of businesses that must follow rules about selling certain medicines, like those containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.

What This Bill Does

Adds online stores to the definition of retail distributors under California's drug control laws.
Requires online retailers not to sell more than three packages of products with specific ingredients in one transaction.
Makes it a crime for an online retailer to break these rules.

Who It Names or Affects

Online retailers who sell medicines containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine.
Customers buying these products online.

Terms To Know

retail distributor: A store that sells goods directly to customers for personal use.
controlled substances: Medicines or drugs regulated by the government because they can be dangerous if not used correctly.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how online retailers will verify that customers are buying for personal use.
It is unclear what happens to existing laws about selling these products in physical stores.
AB-1785 has passed the California Legislature but its final status, including whether it becomes law or not, remains pending.

Bill History

2026-04-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2026-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 22).
2026-04-07 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 19. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on B. & P.
2026-02-10 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 12.
2026-02-09 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1785, as introduced, Hoover.
California Uniform Controlled Substances Act: online retailer.
The California Uniform Controlled Substances Act (act), among other things, requires a retail distributor to comply with specific requirements for the sale of certain types of controlled substances, including, among other requirements, not selling in a single transaction more than 3 packages of a product that is known to contain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine. A violation of these requirements by a retail distributor is a crime.
The act defines a “retail distributor,” for its purposes, as a grocery store, general merchandise store, drugstore, or other related entity, the activities of which, as a distributor of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine products, are limited exclusively to the sale of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine products
for personal use both in number of sales and volume of sales, either directly to walk-in customers or in face-to-face transactions by direct sales.
This bill would include an online retailer, as specified, within the definition of a retail distributor. By expanding the types of entities that are subject to the requirements imposed on retail distributors under the act, the violation of which is a crime, this bill would expand the scope of a crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF