CA legislature passes medical marijuana regulations

[ghostsinthemachine]

Deal ends nearly two decades of deadlock

Marijuana would be considered an agricultural product

Local and state licenses would be required



By Christopher Cadelago and Jeremy B. White

[e-mail]

After years of false starts and nearly two decades after California legalized cannabis for medical purposes, lawmakers Friday sent Gov. Jerry Brown a legislative package to regulate the billion-dollar industry.

Medical marijuana would be newly defined as an agricultural product with rules for water use, discharge and pesticides, and would be tracked and tested through the process.

The trio of bills would allow for testing and labeling of edible marijuana, overseen by the Department of Public Health, and prevent environmental degradation like water diversion via the Department of Food and Agriculture, which would also manage cultivation.

Overseeing it all and tasked with handling transportation and distribution licenses would be a new Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation, housed within the Department of Consumer Affairs and headed by a director who would need to be confirmed by the Senate.

Everyone involved in the cannabis industry, from cultivators to dispensary owners, would need to receive two licenses: one from the state and one from their local city or county. By requiring a local license, the legislation would allow municipalities with bans or restrictions to keep them in place. They also could put before voters taxes on cultivation and retail, in addition to the sales taxes on marijuana, and could designate fees to recoup regulation costs.

Many people with past felony convictions could not get a license unless they have obtained a certificate of rehabilitation, a provision sure to frustrate advocates who argue such a prohibition falls heavily on minority communities.

The deal does not include a excise tax for environmental cleanup and public safety because that would have required a two-thirds vote.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article35016513.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article35016513.html#storylink=cpy

[ghostsinthemachine]

1. Right off the bat I see one thing wrong with this

The part where you need your doctor, not a pot doctor to dole out recommendations. NO HMO Doc will prescribe it. That is why the pot doc thing happens here. They are not part of an HMO and don't have that restriction.

I even asked my doctor if he would not long ago and he refused and told me his HMO (Anthem) would not authorize it and kick him out of the system if he did......

[questionseverything]

2. so this bill is about ending mmj in cali?

[The River]

3. Won't Need mmj

In the full story you'd see that CA will most likely legalize for recreation in 2016.
A legal framework is necessary to regulate it as an agricultural product
and keep the Feds away.

[ghostsinthemachine]

5. I seriously doubt that pot will be legalized in CA

Seriously and I am on the ground floor of the movement.

For far too many reasons to go into here.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Remind Californians that Oregon and Washington are way ahead of them.

One thing California people can't stand, in my experience, is the implication that they're somehow behind the times.

Seriously, I think Legalization is coming. You guys need to get the assorted stakeholders on the same page, then it will happen.

[ghostsinthemachine]

7. Nobody is coming forward with the $$$$$ to even get the props on the ballot

Everyone is afraid after what happened with Richard Lee, who funded the last measure and then was promptly busted and had his shit seized by the Gov't. Oaksterdam U. All of that. Others have suffered the same fate as well.

Keeping in mind thatthe CO measure was a mandate demanding the legislature have something in place by a certain date, there were really no specifics in the bill, just a mandate.

And the Wash bill is pretty simple as well, so much of the industry is completely undiscussed, that it will cost the taxpayers greatly arguing over all the stuff that is not in the bill. it also has a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE, giveaway in regards to stoned driving. I wake up at that level. Since 1968 or so.

At least the CA measure above will first test the effects before setting limits.

[Warren DeMontague]

10. Then base yours on Measure 91 in Oregon.

I can tell you that in terms of actual facts on the ground, so far Washington is working just fine.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/10/us/washington-marijuana-70-million-tax-dollars/

[ghostsinthemachine]

11. BUT,

This issue will show it's complexity as well. IN CA the complexities are already in place.

[Warren DeMontague]

13. If you have too many growers, etc. who like profit margins provided by the legally gray status quo

yeah, you may have trouble getting everyone on the same page.

Alls I'm saying is, you guys can make it work with a concerted effort. It's working just fine in other states.

(Also, regarding Washington's law- I haven't seen any evidence that there's been a huge uptick in arrests for people driving with the THC limits set in the law; my hunch is drivers aren't getting tested for it unless there's a good reason, i.e. they're clearly intoxicated)

[TeamPooka]

4. My doc also has a walk in care clinic as a regular physician too so it is possible to find.

The walk in place is connected with the pot doc part and shares the same exam rooms.
Te doc bounces back and forth.
I think the pot side pays for his ability to have an independent clinic and his freedom to practice as he wishes.

[ghostsinthemachine]

8. But not part of an HMO either....

And I gotta have an HMO.

[TeamPooka]

9. Insurance didn't cover the pot Dr before so what's the difference now. It still comes out of your po

cket

[ghostsinthemachine]

12. Your not getting it....

Here's the thing.. with above regulations (Which most say are not going to be that bad) you need to have your pot doctor be your everyday doctor. And with Obamacare that means an HMO or something like that.

And that is why the pot docs are the way they are now.

What is more telling is that it took close to 20 years for them to come up with something.