Pubdate: Thu, 04 Feb 2016
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Patrick McGreevy

STATE AXES POT DECISION DEADLINE

The Move Gives Cities and Counties More Time to Develop Local Rules 
on the Growing of Medical Marijuana.

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday gave cities and counties 
more time to develop local regulations on the commercial growing of 
medical marijuana amid concern that a March 1 deadline had many 
rushing to ban cultivation.

Last year, Brown signed into law a system that will regulate, license 
and tax those who grow and sell medical cannabis. But a mistake in 
the bill's drafting set a March 1 deadline for cities to either adopt 
stronger rules or face living with the state restrictions that allow 
cultivation.

As a result, nearly 100 cities have banned commercial cultivation, 
the sale of marijuana or both - mostly in recent months - according 
to industry officials.

Among those that have enacted cultivation bans are Burbank, Pasadena, 
Thousand Oaks, Yorba Linda, Long Beach and Newport Beach. Some 
counties have also banned cultivation.

On Wednesday, Brown signed a bill that eliminates the deadline.

"The governor supports allowing local municipalities a reasonable 
amount of time to come up with regulations that work for their 
communities," said Deborah Hoffman, a spokeswoman for the governor.

Eva Spiegel, a spokeswoman for the League of California Cities, said 
the action would allow local officials to revisit the issue and 
potentially make changes in their ordinances.

Supporters of medical marijuana urged cities to act.

"We are calling for locals to repeal the bans in favor of meaningful 
land regulations that will enact the statewide licensing standards .. 
in order to protect public safety, the environment and patients' 
rights," said Ellen Komp, deputy director of California NORML, a 
cannabis legalization group.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom