Pubdate: Thu, 14 Aug 2014
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

SN&R'S POT COLUMNIST EXPLAINS SENATE BILL 1262

Can you explain why people are so upset about the bill that would 
create top-down regulations for California's medical-marijuana industry?

- -Dude

Seriously, Dude, I'm not sure. It's not great, but people are losing 
their minds. Let's take a look.

Senate Bill 1262 would create a comprehensive statewide set of 
regulations for the growing and dispensing of medical marijuana. This 
bill has gone through multiple changes and was recently amended last week.

As it currently stands, S.B. 1262 would create a "Bureau of Medical 
Marijuana Regulation" under the aegis of the Department of Consumer 
Affairs. This bureau would then be in charge of regulating all the 
growers and sellers in California. Prospective growers or dispensary 
owners would pay up to $8,000 for a license and be subject to 
inspection. The bill allows for medical patients to grow small 
amounts, but the days of the huge home grow or the giant collective 
garden would be over.

This bill also protects (and further regulates) people transporting 
large amounts of cannabis from grower to seller, and from dispensary 
to dispensary. S.B. 1262 also leaves enforcement of regulations up to 
individual cities and counties. There are some other things in there 
about doctor's responsibilities, yada yada, but you get the gist.

Americans for Safe Access in on board with this bill so far. It has 
worked hard to lobby for many changes (the original bill was too 
strict on doctors) and feels that this is the best deal we can get in 
California right now.

The Drug Policy Alliance opposes the bill, mostly because it still 
allows individual cities and counties to ban medical-cannabis dispensaries.

California NORML also opposes the bill. The majority of patients and 
advocates and dispensary operators I have talked to really, really 
don't like this bill. I can see their point. S.B. 1262 doesn't really 
do anything but set up another bureaucracy with no enforcement teeth. 
It doesn't allow for dispensaries statewide, meaning that patients 
all over California, but especially in the Central Valley, would have 
to travel very long distances for their medicine.

My biggest gripe is that it really doesn't do anything to help any of 
the outdoor growers in the Emerald Triangle. To me, those folks are a 
gigantic part of why we have some of the best marijuana in the 
country, and any legislation that doesn't take the growers into 
account is doomed to be unworkable. First of all, those folks are 
already scofflaws, so good luck getting them to sign up for 
inspections. Secondly, if you take a longer view toward legalization 
in 2016, you would be preemptively shutting down one of our biggest assets.

I can see why everyone is upset. I am also a little upset. I just ask 
that we keep the discussion civil. That being said, while I disagree 
with Americans for Safe Access about S.B. 1262, as it is currently 
written, I will still be appearing at the Occasional Cannabis Comedy 
Fest on Monday, September 15, at Harlow's Restaurant & Nightclub in 
Midtown. It's a benefit for ASA. See you there.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom