California Legislature hurrying to pass marijuana regulations

August 25, 2015

medical marijuan rxCalifornia lawmakers are trying pass a wide variety of medical marijuana regulations before voters may decide whether the state legalizes recreational pot. [Mercury News]

Marijuana advocates are currently drafting multiple legalization initiatives that could appear on the California ballot. In response, lawmakers have authored a pair of bills that would create the first statewide regulations for medical marijuana growers, manufacturers and distributors. They would also regulate pot-infused products.

One of the bills, AB 266, passed the Assembly on a 62-8 vote last month. AB 266 would create a comprehensive licensing and oversight scheme, as well as the proposed Governor’s Office of Medical Cannabis Regulation.

The bill would require the California Highway Patrol to develop a way of determining who is too high to drive. It would also require the Department of Public Health to come up with rules for testing pot products for potency and toxic chemicals.

AB 266 would also require a set a of rules stating who is eligible to grow, process, transport and sell medical marijuana. Lawmakers say there must be limits on the involvement of felons and new immigrants in the state’s marijuana industry.

The California Cannabis Association, the California Police Chiefs Association and the League of California cities are all supporting the bill. AB 266 has drawn widespread support in part because it would would create training standards and labor rights for industry workers, while allowing local governments to maintain the authority to ban marijuana businesses.

In 1996, California voters approved a ballot measure that allowed doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients. The initiative did not craft regulations on the production and sale of medical marijuana.

Much disagreement over the law has ensued, and the Legislature has deferred the task of adopting comprehensive medical marijuana regulations.

ACLU advocacy director Natasha Minster said lawmakers’ tones have changed as a result of the legalization discussion.

“There is real potential a legalization initiative will set the tone for regulation and taxation, and if the Legislature wants to be involved, now is the time,” Minster said.


Loading...
8 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Rich in MB. Kind of ignorant rant eh? You framed it as if only liberals smoke? If there was a way to profit, the regressives would jump on it. Isn’t it ironic all of the regressives with the addiction problems? Or “wide stances”, sex addiction, traveling for sex etc. (rush in the Dominican Republic with another mans prescription Viagra) if you want to go after Liberals, make sure it’s not an 8-1 hypocrisy


It will be fun watching the typically liberal lot smokers turn into Tea Party small Government types. I will send them a Tea Party bumper sticker.


“The bill would require the California Highway Patrol to develop a way of determining who is too high to drive.”


Sure, let’s just make a law that requires someone to invent something that does not exist. One would think that if there was a way (that can stand up in court) to determine this (short of a blood test), it would have been out and around by now. Trust me, if the over-compensated radar operators could have found a way to increase revenue streams this way, they would have already.


I agree to an extent rOy. There isn’t a way to track “too high” versus just high enough and they already do that by establishing impairment. When you’re impaired you’ve consumed to much, agreed?


This’ll get interesting before it get’s “over”.


California has so many rediculous social issues that the State may need to drug it’s population to keep things in check. As in, what is that new tax, I should do what, Far out…..


Maybe they should have had regulations in place before making it legal.


Seems like the cart is in front of the horse


Great title and well thought out and it really caught my eye because, when do you ever envision pot smokers hurrying to do anything short of clutching the fridge handle looking for chocolate to dip their fritos in!


Being High in California is about the only way to survive the Ineptitude of the State Government as is flushes the once Golden State down the drain.