Jul 24, 2014 11:33 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

California has joined a small handful of states to pass legislation that would lower the drinking age from 21 to 18, but under particular circumstances.

According to NBC Los Angeles, Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata) introduced Assembly Bill 1989 and it will be heard by the state's Senate Committee on Governmental Organization. Otherwise known as the "sip and spit law," the legislation allows college students to taste alcoholic beverages as long as it is in participation with a course on beer brewing or wine making.

The bill only saw opposition from two voters, who argued it would weaken restrictions for underage drinking. The legislation also comes only days after a report that U.S. colleges and universities are not doing all they are capable of to curb binge drinking on campus.

Of course the bill is meant to be purely academic, as it does not encourage dangerous alcohol consumption since students in such classes will only be tasting. Along with its several major colleges, Calif. is also known for Napa Valley, one of the most renowned wine regions in the entire world.

Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, a professor of viticulture and enology at the University of California - Davis, testified that tasting is a highly important part of winemaking, NBC L.A. reported.

"It's an experience they can't really get any other way," he said. "And it's much better if they do it in an educational setting where they can ask a lot of questions."

According to the Los Angeles Times, students at Cal Poly looking to receive a degree in wine and viticulture have had to wait until they turn 21 to take certain courses. This roadblock sometimes causes students to have to wait five years to earn a degree.

The new legislation, if passed, will help the next generation of winemakers get through school much more seamlessly. California now joins Oregon, New York, Washington and nine other states to allow 18-year-olds to sip and spit in winemaking courses.

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