Pubdate: Fri, 15 Jan 2016
Source: Ukiah Daily Journal, The (CA)
Copyright: 2016 The Ukiah Daily Journal
Contact: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/feedback
Website: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/581

ASSEMBLY BILL MOVES FORWARD TO FIX INADVERTENT MARIJUANA DEADLINE

SACRAMENTO - A proposed Assembly Bill seeking to fix a deadline error 
in the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act took another step 
forward Tuesday after unanimous approval by the Senate Government and 
Finance Committee.

Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, is hoping to push AB 21 to the 
governor's desk as soon as possible in order to strike a set March 1 
deadline that was inadvertently included in the new medical marijuana 
regulations requiring cities and counties to adopt medical marijuana 
cultivation standards or allow the state to take local control.

"Nobody intended to give local lawmakers such a short timeline to 
develop regulations for an industry as complex as medical cannabis," 
Wood said in a statement.

Despite unanimous support Tuesday, concerns were voiced over another 
issue not included in AB 21.

As part of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, cities 
and counties have the authority to prevent medical marijuana patients 
from growing the drug for their personal use.

Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the Drug Policy Alliance 
have stated opposition to AB 21 unless the bill includes language 
that precludes local jurisdictions from banning medical marijuana 
from being grown for personal use, according to Wood's office.

Wood said even though he is committed to working out the concerns of 
personal medical marijuana grows, it is unlikely AB 21 would be able 
to proceed before the March 1 deadline if the issue of the grows is 
added into the bill, which would likely keep the inadvertent deadline 
on the books even longer.

AB 21 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Health Committee next week.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom