CA Bills Would Create New MMJ Grower License, Expand Regs

The California State Assembly has approved two medical marijuana-related bills, including one that would create a new type of license for MMJ “micro farmers” and another that addresses a host a of regulatory issues.

Both bills now head to the state Senate.

Assemblyman Jim Woods, the sponsor of the grower bill, said in a statement the proposed license – a specialty cottage cultivator license – would be available for farms with up to 2,500 square feet of total canopy size for outdoor cultivation, or up to 500 square feet for indoor cultivation. The bill number is AB 2516.

The second bill, AB 1575, would:

• Allow current operators and new businesses to organize as for-profit entities
• Authorize research on medical cannabis and new product development
• Set standards for delivery services
• Create a banking advisory group
• Regulate advertising by medical cannabis businesses

The second bill was authored by the same bipartisan group of lawmakers who wrote California’s landmark Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act last fall.