Will 2015 be the year that California finally passes medical marijuana regulations? It will if a pair of Democratic state lawmakers have their way.
State Assembly Members Reggie Jones-Sawyer and Rob Bonta, from Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively, introduced a pair of bills this week in advance of the beginning of the next legislative session.
Assembly Bill 26, by Jones-Sawyer, is another version of a failed bill from earlier this year. Assembly Bill 34, by Bonta, has yet to be fleshed out and written, but declares that the Legislature intends to “establish a comprehensive and uniform state regulatory structure” for the MMJ industry.
There will be plenty of political pressure on the Legislature to get the job done next year. Not only have the feds warned the state to “get your regulatory act together,” but there will in all likelihood be a ballot measure in 2016 to legalize recreational marijuana.
If that passes without the state having an infrastructure in place to govern the MMJ industry, it could result in regulatory havoc for businesses, officials and consumers.
Have you read this doc? All 26 pages? You better. It is by far the most draconian set of rules I have ever seen for ANY product; worse than alcohol. It allows for the state and the cops to do whatever they want. tax the hell out of medical and make it so difficult to be in the business that only big money will be successful. Grow your own? Go to jail. There will be no medical marijuana if this passes; this is recreational only, called medical because these people do not believe in medical cannabis. They want money. They will win if this passes. The DEA is forcing them to do this and we must not fall under their black boots authority tactics.
Funny… Want to start a boutique winery? No problem A beer company? No problem. But a boutique cannabis company – watch out… The rich will control this and there may be no boutiques allowed. No growing your own. What a mess in CA
Absolute Garbage!
AB 26 is absolute garbage. IMHO, among its many fatal flaws, it give the California ABC, Alcoholic Beverage Commission, power to appoint someone with the power to grant and take-away granted permission anyone doing anything with MMJ…wrong, way-way wrong. If at all such a position should be one elected by the voters of California, and able to be voted out of office by them not by someone completely impervious to voter oversight…among many of its other all too imperfect regulations.
The Jack Herer Initiative is what we should be voting for!
Rob Bonta is NOT from San Francisco. He voted against the moratorium on fracking, and from all I can tell, is doing anything he can to sidle up to power.
AB 26 intends to totally reverse the current law.
“The bill would specify that recommending marijuana to patients
without a good faith examination and medical reason or recommending
marijuana for nonmedical purposes is unprofessional conduct. The bill
would provide that specified acts of recommending marijuana without
a good faith examination are among the types of cases that should be
given priority for investigation and prosecution by the Medical Board
of California, as described above. The bill would also specify that
employment by, or an agreement with, a mandatory medical cannabis
registrant to provide recommendations for medical marijuana
constitutes unprofessional conduct. By broadening the definition of a
crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The
bill would repeal, 90 days after the department posts a specified
notice on its Internet Web site, the provisions described above
prohibiting prosecution of qualified patients, persons with valid
identification cards, and designated primary caregivers who associate
in California, collectively or cooperatively, to cultivate marijuana
for medical purposes.”
Again.the Jack Herer Initiative is what Californians should be voting for!