Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate committee advances bill to curb sales of large nitrous‑oxide canisters
Summary
Sen. Blake Spear’s SB 936 would ban retail sale of nitrous‑oxide canisters larger than 8 grams while preserving medical, culinary and automotive uses; supporters cited rising emergency‑department visits and fatal crashes, while the ACLU urged a regulatory rather than criminal approach.
Sen. Blake Spear introduced SB 936 on Tuesday, saying the measure would prohibit retail sale of nitrous‑oxide canisters larger than 8 grams while preserving legitimate medical, dental, culinary and automotive uses.
“We are not trying to criminalize legitimate uses,” Spear said, describing flavored, large‑tank products marketed in smoke shops that he said appeal to young people. He told the committee the bill aims to reduce access to the canisters most commonly linked to misuse.
The bill’s supporters described a recent rise in harms tied to nitrous oxide. “Across California, emergency department visits related to nitrous oxide…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
