California Lawmaker Revives Bill To Regulate Medical Marijuana

[Truth Seeker]

A state lawmaker has revived legislation to regulate medical marijuana in California, saying the measure is necessary to clarify hazy legal areas that continue to plague the state's pot program 16 years after voters approved it.

The proposal, AB 473 by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), would create a division within the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to monitor supply and sales of medical marijuana.

While the Legislature passed a bill that offered limited guidance on regulation in 2003, it has yet to adopt requirements for state licensing and labeling of cannabis, among other issues, resulting in a series of contradictory court decisions.

The California Supreme Court is expected to rule by May on whether local governments have the authority to ban cannabis dispensaries.

"Where marijuana rules are concerned, California has been in chaos for way too long," Ammiano said in a statement. "Cities have been looking for state guidance, dispensaries feel at the mercy of changing rules and patients who need medical cannabis are uncertain about how their legitimate medical needs will be filled."

He added: "This is a concrete plan that will keep medical marijuana safe. We will get it into the right hands and keep it out of the wrong hands."

The bill follows failed efforts last year to regulate medical pot. Facing opposition from law enforcement groups, Ammiano tabled a measure that would have created a state board to enact and enforce statewide regulations on growing, transporting and selling medical marijuana.

Opponents, including the Los Angeles County district attorney's office and the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said the bill would have spurred an expansion of an industry that they characterized as out of control.

The new legislation is modeled on rules in Colorado, which has successfully regulated medical marijuana for three years, Ammiano said.

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Source: latimes.com
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Website: California lawmaker revives bill to regulate medical marijuana - latimes.com

 

[J9BLACK]

OK, right hands would be government picked winners and the wrong hands would be gardeners, mom and pop bakeries, apothecaries and recreational users?

These people are drunk with power.

 

[Icemud]

These politicians make me sick.... freaking dummies!!! ok so keeping it out of the wrong hand??? cartels gangs.... well banning MMJ does this!!! why haven't they realized this??? the more restrictions that you place on things, the more the street value and interest go up?? I have lost so much faith in our democracy.... and putting control in the hands of a Alcohol board??? They need to focus on whats important and fixing how cannabis is listed as a schedule 1.... they need to focus on state vs federal laws... Marijuana doesn't kill people, but crazy inhumane laws do!!!!

 

[Bonehead]

When Assemblyman Ammiano introduced a similar bill last year, the complaint was about the creation of another bureaucratic policing agency and that came from some in the medical cannabis community. Now he's proposing that a current enforcement agency incorporate medical cannabis. I say at least Ammiano is trying something. We are NOT going to have medical cannabis or "adult use" cannabis without regulation and taxation. Just forget about it. I personally don't care about how much regulation/taxation there is as long as people stop going to jail for cannabis.

Tom Ammiano is one of the only state representaive that is truely trying to make life better for medical cannabis patients and operators so they can provide their medicine. The one thing I see is a vague Prop 215 that allows the federal gov't to bust operators who follow state law. Having the ABC oversee regulations is not an issue. And by the way, state representatives do not have the power to change federal law. So, Mr Ammiano will not get cannabis rescheduled. This does not change the essence of providing medical cannabis to a patient and will not take the growing away from mom and pop but it will slow and perhaps stop the federal gov't's involvement which in turn means less people going to jail. Prop 215 is not going to remain the same forever. Too many people are going to jail still. Saying Prop 215 is all we need is like saying we need another hole in our head.