FOCUSED AND DETERMINED

The group that has worked to reverse the City of Bakersfield’s current ban on medical cannabis will not go down without a fight. The Medical Cannabis Initiative by Kern Citizens for Patient Rights (KCPR) might not be appearing on the November 2016 ballot, however that does not mean that the initiative has been defeated. Instead, KCPR plans on submitting its measure for a future election.

KCPR drafted the Medical Cannabis Initiative in order to encourage Bakersfield to regulate cannabis under the regulations adopted by California’s Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act of 2015 (MMRSA), which is also known as AB-266. This law requires cannabis-related businesses to secure a permit from the city to operate. The KCPR-backed initiative would implement zoning requirements in Bakersfield for medical cannabis collectives, as well as a 7.5 percent tax on the gross income of all cannabis-related sales.

CULTURE spoke with Liz Clarke, who is the treasurer of KCPR. Clarke gave her insight into the great lengths her citizens group has worked in order to get the Medical Cannabis Initiative to qualify. “Right now and within the city limits of Bakersfield, to qualify for the AB-266, we need to be in good standing with our local government. And right now, all the shops in Bakersfield city limits are banned.” Clarke said. “So we wouldn’t qualify to be regulated in the state. We would be shut out essentially. So these are regulations that align with AB-266 and that also give a little extra tax to the City of Bakersfield to help fund the regulation that would happen if people vote this in.”

“Right now and within the city limits of Bakersfield, to qualify for the AB-266, we need to be in good standing with our local government.”

Although the group has gathered more than double the required signatures, Clarke explained that it ended up being quite a daunting task due to the unincorporated areas scattered throughout the city. “It was a frustrating process,” Clarke stated. “It didn’t go as quickly as we wanted in order to get it on the November ballot, because of the intricacy of someone being a city voter versus a county voter. It took a little bit longer, which is why we didn’t put it on the November ballot.”

The group needed to gather 15,500 signatures in order to qualify as a future ballot initiative. At the time of this writing, KCPR has gathered 36,281 signatures that they plan on submitting for a future ballot.

The group continues to remain dedicated and focused to getting this legislation on a future ballot, because it is the only way the existing cannabis collectives in Bakersfield may eventually enter into California’s potential recreational market. “We have this legalization for recreational use coming up in November, but what people don’t realize is that your city and your county can still say no,” Clarke explained. “The general public doesn’t always understand how the politics behind cannabis is frustrating.”

KCPR continues to fight for medical cannabis rights in Bakersfield, and the group encourages the public to become educated on the importance of changing the laws in our cities and counties regarding cannabis. This is because they are the ones who really hold the power over medical or recreational cannabis in our communities. Either way, the future for Bakersfield medical cannabis remains bright. As Clarke stated, “We will be on the next ballot.”