SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has renewed his call for insurers to offer insurance products for California’s legalized cannabis industry in the wake of last week’s published reports that President Trump has abandoned Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ policy on federal law enforcement of cannabis. Since the voters of California voted to legalize adult recreational use of cannabis in November 2016, Commissioner Jones has worked to get insurers to offer insurance products to cover the insurance needs of the cannabis industry. Over 24 surplus lines insurers and the first admitted insurer are now offering insurance for various risks faced by the cannabis businesses in California.
Commissioner Dave Jones sent a formal letter last week to California insurers encouraging them to fill insurance gaps for California’s cannabis businesses. In part Jones’ letter reads:
“The mission of the California Department of Insurance is ‘Insurance Protection for All Californians.’ We work with the insurance industry to promote a healthy insurance market that offers insurance products to meet the ever-changing needs of Californians and California businesses. This includes making insurance available to the state licensed legal cannabis businesses in California.
Even prior to the most recent decision by President Trump, there have been no reported instances of federal prosecution of a cannabis business lawfully operating in a state that legalized cannabis. The recent decision by President Trump should reduce further the risk of federal prosecution of legal cannabis businesses and the insurers that provide them insurance.
The Department of Insurance will process cannabis rate filings expeditiously and will not object to proposed rates that have a rational basis. I invite insurance companies to take advantage of the tremendous market opportunity represented by the cannabis industry that currently has revenues of $9 billion and is projected to grow to $60 billion by 2027. I look forward to the opportunity to work with insurers to increase the availability of insurance for the California cannabis industry.”
