Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Last year, with the passage of Proposition 64, California voters decided to decriminalize the adult use of cannabis. With a strong 69 percent supermajority, voters in Alameda declared that the preciously existing system was not working and ushered in a new era in statewide cannabis policy.
Communities of color had been disproportionately criminalized leading to mass incarceration. And ongoing damage was being inflicted as community members later had difficulty obtaining jobs with criminal convictions on their records.
For several years, I've helped lead the effort in the state Legislature to create a comprehensive state-level structure of regulation that enhances public safety, protects the environment, ensures access to quality medicine for patients, is fair, and, in the process, destigmatizes medical and responsible and regulated adult use of cannabis.
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Starting in 2015, we passed the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA), for which I served as lead author. And we continued our work this session as California prepares to issue licenses on Jan. 1, 2018.
At all levels of government, it's important to ensure that: Patients are able to obtain the medicine they need. Manufacturers and supply chains produce safe and inspected high-quality products. Children are protected from marketing and packaging. Law enforcement has the tools to keep impaired drivers off the roads. Businesses can operate with clarity and certainty. Revenue at the local and state level gets put to good use. Illicit drug cartels lose their influence and are brought to justice. The environment is protected from damaging cultivation practices. And young people, especially from communities of color, are no longer over-criminalized and will not face the attendant downward spiral of adverse consequences.
As a result of MCRSA and Prop. 64, local governments across California, including Alameda, were empowered to adopt ordinances that work in conjunction with state regulations to create a safe and sensible environment that protects people and businesses.
I'm very pleased to see the Alameda City Council approve the first reading of its cannabis business ordinance and the process that led to its creation. The council has removed the previous ban and will allow up to four manufacturers, two testing labs, one seed nursery and up to two medicinal-only dispensaries.
I have always been committed to giving everyone a seat at the table. And it was through a robust engagement process in which every stakeholder who wanted to had a voice that we were able to pass MCRSA, the first statewide medical cannabis regulations in nearly 20 years. In that spirit, Alameda leaders engaged the public and other stakeholders in the local process and the result was a very positive outcome.
The council's common-sense approach helps to safely regulate cannabis and ensure that residents will be able to obtain the medicine they need on the Island. The regulations will also create a structure to bring good union jobs to Alameda. At the same time, they will protect children by establishing buffer zones between dispensaries and places where children gather, like schools and recreation centers.
These regulations also strengthen Alameda's Second Hand Smoke Ordinance that I worked to implement during my time serving as vice mayor of Alameda. They will offer strong protections for people in public places and for residents living in multifamily housing, preventing unwanted exposure to the smell and smoke.
The residents of Alameda will be well served by the thoughtful work of Vice Mayor Malia Vella and City Councilmember Jim Oddie. Thanks to their leadership and their courageous vote that honors the will of the voters, the new policies will allow those who wish to participate in the cannabis marketplace to do so with predictability and certainty, while enhancing public safety and protecting our children. I applaud the council's actions in adopting these strong and timely regulations.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: My Word: Assemblymember Bonta praises Alameda cannabis rules
Author: Rob Bonta
Contact: Contact Us – East Bay Times
Photo Credit: TheCostaRicaNews
Website: East Bay Times - Contra Costa and Alameda county news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle and commentary
Communities of color had been disproportionately criminalized leading to mass incarceration. And ongoing damage was being inflicted as community members later had difficulty obtaining jobs with criminal convictions on their records.
For several years, I've helped lead the effort in the state Legislature to create a comprehensive state-level structure of regulation that enhances public safety, protects the environment, ensures access to quality medicine for patients, is fair, and, in the process, destigmatizes medical and responsible and regulated adult use of cannabis.
Like the Alameda Journal Facebook page for neighborhood news and conversation from Alameda and beyond.
Starting in 2015, we passed the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA), for which I served as lead author. And we continued our work this session as California prepares to issue licenses on Jan. 1, 2018.
At all levels of government, it's important to ensure that: Patients are able to obtain the medicine they need. Manufacturers and supply chains produce safe and inspected high-quality products. Children are protected from marketing and packaging. Law enforcement has the tools to keep impaired drivers off the roads. Businesses can operate with clarity and certainty. Revenue at the local and state level gets put to good use. Illicit drug cartels lose their influence and are brought to justice. The environment is protected from damaging cultivation practices. And young people, especially from communities of color, are no longer over-criminalized and will not face the attendant downward spiral of adverse consequences.
As a result of MCRSA and Prop. 64, local governments across California, including Alameda, were empowered to adopt ordinances that work in conjunction with state regulations to create a safe and sensible environment that protects people and businesses.
I'm very pleased to see the Alameda City Council approve the first reading of its cannabis business ordinance and the process that led to its creation. The council has removed the previous ban and will allow up to four manufacturers, two testing labs, one seed nursery and up to two medicinal-only dispensaries.
I have always been committed to giving everyone a seat at the table. And it was through a robust engagement process in which every stakeholder who wanted to had a voice that we were able to pass MCRSA, the first statewide medical cannabis regulations in nearly 20 years. In that spirit, Alameda leaders engaged the public and other stakeholders in the local process and the result was a very positive outcome.
The council's common-sense approach helps to safely regulate cannabis and ensure that residents will be able to obtain the medicine they need on the Island. The regulations will also create a structure to bring good union jobs to Alameda. At the same time, they will protect children by establishing buffer zones between dispensaries and places where children gather, like schools and recreation centers.
These regulations also strengthen Alameda's Second Hand Smoke Ordinance that I worked to implement during my time serving as vice mayor of Alameda. They will offer strong protections for people in public places and for residents living in multifamily housing, preventing unwanted exposure to the smell and smoke.
The residents of Alameda will be well served by the thoughtful work of Vice Mayor Malia Vella and City Councilmember Jim Oddie. Thanks to their leadership and their courageous vote that honors the will of the voters, the new policies will allow those who wish to participate in the cannabis marketplace to do so with predictability and certainty, while enhancing public safety and protecting our children. I applaud the council's actions in adopting these strong and timely regulations.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: My Word: Assemblymember Bonta praises Alameda cannabis rules
Author: Rob Bonta
Contact: Contact Us – East Bay Times
Photo Credit: TheCostaRicaNews
Website: East Bay Times - Contra Costa and Alameda county news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle and commentary