Pubdate: Thu, 02 Jun 2016
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Column: The 420
Copyright: 2016 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

SUSPENDED

Can I get an update on the Legislature? They seem to be hella busy lately.

- -Eric

You are correct. The Legislature has been working hella hard to get a 
bunch of bills out of suspense. A bill being held "in suspense"? They 
make it sounds so ... suspenseful. "What's gonna happen? Who knows? 
We will let you know right after this commercial." Anyway, there were 
a bunch of bills about marijuana in the suspense file. Which bills 
lived and which bills died? I have a list of winners:

Assembly Bill 1575, D-Rob Bonta, Oakland: This is what's known as a 
"cleanup" bill. The idea is to fix a few things from the Medical 
Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act.

AB 2516, D-Jim Wood, Eureka: This bill creates a new, smaller state 
license for medical-marijuana growers. This new license would be 
known as a "Type 1C", or "specialty cottage," license. Type 1C 
growers would be allowed to cultivate 2,500 square feet or less of 
total canopy size for mixed-light cultivation, up to 25 plants for 
outdoor cultivation, or 500 square feet or less of total canopy size 
for indoor cultivation.

AB 2243, Wood: More taxes. This one is about restrictions on growth 
and production for cannabis distributors.

Senate Bill 987, D-Mike McGuire, Healdsburg: Even more taxes. 15 
percent this time, statewide. On everything!

One bill not going to the ball this year is AB 2740, by D-Evan Low, 
Campbell. This bill would have made it illegal to drive with a small 
amount of THC in one's bloodstream. It's a good thing this bill 
failed, because studies have shown that, arguably, stoned drivers 
aren't a high risk.

I like AB 1575 and AB 2516, but the two tax bills need to go away. 
There is no reason to start imposing taxes before the Bureau of 
Medical Marijuana Regulation-the BuMMR-has even figured out what the 
market will bear. Keep in mind that medical-marijuana users already 
pay state sales tax and that many cities already impose an extra tax 
on top of that. Considering the fact that marijuana is the only 
medicine that people have to pay taxes on anyway, it seems like 
legislators are trying to kill the goose before it even starts to lay eggs.

Marijuana made about $50 million in taxes last year, and that's just 
from the clubs that paid taxes. I expect the new BuMMR regulations 
will lead to increased revenue, especially as towns that used to be 
against medical cannabis start allowing cultivators and dispensaries 
in their jurisdictions.

Speaking of taxes, Sacramento voters will have a chance to vote on 
Measure Y, a proposed 5 percent tax on commercial growers. The money 
will go to a special children's fund. This is a good idea, but you 
see what I am saying about politicians expecting marijuana to pay for 
just about everything.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom