California To Finally Regulate Medical Marijuana Industry, For Better Or Worse

Follow TIS on Twitter: @Truth_is_Scary & Like TIS of Facebook- facebook.com/TruthisScary

TheWeedBlog

Late yesterday California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation into law that will result in California’s medical marijuana industry being regulated at the state level for the first time since California legalized medical marijuana in 1996. It’s a bittersweet victory. On one hand, California’s industry has needed statewide regulations for a very, very long time. On the other hand, the regulations that were passed were not exactly what activists and industry members wanted. But, for better or worse, the laws are on the books now, and implementation will now move forward. I received quite a few e-mails about reactions this, so I’ll put them below. Feel free to put your thoughts and opinions in the comments section:

Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Historic Legislation Creating a Statewide Regulatory Framework for California Medical Marijuana Businesses

Under the new laws, businesses will be licensed to produce, test, and distribute medical marijuana, and a Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation will be established to develop and enforce uniform state regulations

Gov. Jerry Brown signed three bills into law Friday that establish a statewide regulatory framework for California businesses that produce and distribute medical marijuana in the state. AB 243, AB 266, and SB 643 create standards for licensing businesses as well as testing, packaging, labeling, and tracking marijuana products, among other things.

The bills establish a new agency within the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation, which will oversee the system and work with other agencies that will be involved in licensing key areas of activity, such as cultivation and testing. The bureau will develop detailed rules by January 2017, and businesses will begin to apply for state licenses in January 2018, at which point the current system of collectives and cooperatives will be phased out. Medical marijuana businesses will need to obtain local approval to continue operating.

In 1996, California became the first state to adopt a law that allows seriously ill patients to legally access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. The law did not include a regulatory structure, resulting in a patchwork system in which some communities allowed medical marijuana providers to operate under local regulations while others opted to prohibit such operations entirely.

Read More HERE