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California's gearing up to rein in medical marijuana
May 2, 2016
Updated 7:20 a.m.
California expects to add 126 jobs and spend $24.6 million on efforts to regulate medical marijuana in the coming year alone. SAM GANGWER, FILE PHOTO
By BROOKE EDWARDS STAGGS / STAFF WRITER
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The Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulations is hosting two local information sessions about the new state laws surrounding medical marijuana. Chief Lori Ajax will speak during identical sessions at the Orange County Hall of Administration, 333 West Santa Ana Blvd., in Santa Ana:
• 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. today
• 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. today
There are additional sessions planned in Sacramento, Los Angeles and other cities. Register or get more information by searching at
EventBrite.com.
Learn more about the bureau and sign up for email alerts at
BMMR.dca.ca.gov
California blazed a trail to legalize medical marijuana 20 years ago. But the Golden State is only now confronting the full complexity of regulating consumer safety and business practices in an industry that’s ballooned to an estimated $2.7 billion annually.
It’s no simple task, requiring startup-like coordination and enforcement across a dozen state agencies looking to rein in a sector of the economy that has
thrived in a decidedly spotty patchwork of local oversight.
California’s lack of control over the industry thus far has not gone unnoticed, according to John Hudak, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who focuses on marijuana policies.
“The state’s medical marijuana program is in many ways the laughingstock of marijuana policies in the United States,” Hudak said. “It’s a significant example of everything that can go wrong, serving in many ways as a proxy system for recreational marijuana.”
One measure of the challenge ahead? The state is expecting tens of thousands of cannabis businesses – from growers to distributors, testing labs to retail shops – to begin seeking one or more of 17 types of licenses starting Jan. 1, 2018.
And the regulatory challenges for the new system could skyrocket
if voters approve the recreational use of pot later this year.
Three agencies will actually issue licenses. Nine more have been charged with various oversight and review responsibilities.
That includes the Medical Board, which must step up procedures to investigate and discipline doctors who aren’t adhering to ethical standards in recommending marijuana for patients. The Department of Justice will conduct background checks on all licensees. And the Board of Equalization will issue seller permits to all retailers, oversee tax collections and help develop a system to trace the movement of all cannabis products.
Be careful what you wish for as recreational cannabis is concerned CA. I was happy with just the medical in my state of WA. Now the state has so many regulations and taxes. I guess it's called progress.
CK