Business
Governor Jerry Brown Signs California Medical Cannabis Regulations Last Minute
Photo by Will Davison / The Signal
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]G[/dropcap]overnor Jerry Brown signed into effect California’s new package of bills regulating medical cannabis Friday, October 9. It’s a long-awaited move to regulate California’s massive cannabis industry.
“This new structure will make sure patients have access to medical marijuana, while ensuring a robust tracking system,” the governor said. “This sends a clear and certain signal to our federal counterparts that California is implementing robust controls not only on paper, but in practice.”
The trio of bills—Assembly Bill 266, Assembly Bill 243, and Senate Bill 643, will establish order in an industry that has desperately need clarification for nearly twenty years. The bills will control every aspect of the medical cannabis industry, from distribution to pesticide standards to quality control. The new massive bundle of regulations means that current dispensaries as in California will be phased out, making way for new businesses. Some transitional provisions may apply.
AB-266 establishes the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation which will license growers, retailers and manufacturers. SB-643 mandates stricter medical regulations for those with valid medical conditions. AB-243 establishes regulations for cultivators with water conservation in mind.
The signature arrived on the last possible business day before the October 11th deadline. The framework generated by the new regulations are absolutely crucial in order for the multiple recreational bills slated for California’s 2016 election. The new regulations will go into effect by 2018.
