Stakeholders Call for Action on Medical Marijuana Regulations
A group of stakeholders is urging California lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at establishing statewide medical marijuana regulations, the Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" reports (Cadelago, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 9/9).
Background
California lawmakers are considering several bills to regulate the medical marijuana industry, including:
- SB 643, by state Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), which would develop a framework for governing the medical marijuana industry; and
- AB 243, by Assembly member Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), which would give water agencies some regulatory control over the medical marijuana industry (California Healthline, 7/10).
Last week, lawmakers confirmed that officials from Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) administration will help combine the policies outlined in various Assembly and Senate bills and negotiate disagreements between the authors.
Stakeholders Call for Action
On Wednesday, organized labor, local government and police department officials sent a letter to Democratic lawmakers urging action on medical marijuana regulations. The letter was sent by:
- California Teamsters;
- The League of California Cities;
- Police chiefs organizations; and
- United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council, a union representing California marijuana workers.
The groups expressed concerns about the difficulty both legislative chambers are having in reaching a consensus on medical marijuana regulations.
The letter stated, "We note, respectfully, that there are no significant policy differences between the two houses of the Legislature on this issue, based on the latest versions of the language that each have produced and made available for distribution," adding, "The existing differences between the houses on this issue therefore appear to reside elsewhere" ("Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 9/9).
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, UFCW Western States Council Executive Director Jim Araby said, "We applaud Gov. Brown's leadership in recognizing that regulation of the medical marijuana industry is long overdue and for facilitating a collaborative process to provide guidance for what an acceptable bill would look like," adding, "Now is time to finalize legislation that will protect consumers and workers in this fast-growing California industry. We must pass a bill this year."
Araby said, "We urge the leadership in both houses to move a bill to the Governor's desk to establish workplace standards that protect consumers" (UFCW release, 9/8).
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