Assembly Judiciary Committee advances bill to ban retail sale of tianeptine

AB 634, a measure to prohibit the manufacture, distribution and sale of tianeptine in California, was advanced by the Assembly Judiciary Committee after author and witnesses described the substance as producing opioid‑like highs and posing a public‑health risk.

Assemblymember Jeff Gonzales introduced the bill and said committee amendments were accepted. Gonzales and the bill’s supporters emphasized that tianeptine is widely available at small retailers with no age restriction and can be marketed as a supplement, leaving it in a legal gray area. Gonzales told the committee the measure’s amendments convert penalties from criminal to civil and that his office will work to protect employees and to preserve legitimate research uses.

Ryan Sherman of the California Narcotic Officers Association, a sponsor, said the priority is restricting commercial sale rather than possession. “The biggest problem is not possession. It’s really that it’s being marketed and being able to be sold in our state, and that anybody can get it, especially without prescription,” Sherman said, urging members for an aye vote.

Committee members expressed support for the narrow civil enforcement approach and for the bill’s goal of restricting easy retail access that can expose children and other consumers. The committee recorded the bill as passing as amended to appropriations and will send it to the next fiscal committee for review.

What happens next: AB 634 moves to appropriations, where budgetary considerations and final drafting will be reviewed before any floor action.