California lawmakers on Friday finally approved legislation to regulate the state’s medical cannabis industry, 19 years after the Golden State became the first in the nation to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

In the days leading up to Friday’s midnight deadline for the 2015 legislative session, word spread that top lawmakers from both chambers and the governor’s office had reached a deal on a package of bills, but the actual language of the proposals was kept under wraps until the very last minute.

Now that the bills have been released, approved and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature, we can report the details. Here’s what the legislation will do once it is enacted:

* Creates a new Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation under the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs, which will regulate the industry and issue transportation and distribution licenses.

* Mandates testing and labeling of medical cannabis products for potency, molds and pesticides, which will be regulated by the California Department of Public Health.

* Gives the California Department of Food and Agriculture authority to regulate marijuana cultivation, including enforcing rules governing water usage and pesticides.

* Requires dispensaries to have both state and local licenses, meaning that cities that wish to ban storefronts can continue to do so.

* Restricts the ability of people with past felony convictions to get marijuana business licenses.

* Allows marijuana businesses to operate as for-profit entities instead of nonprofits, which was previously mandated under guidelines from the state attorney generals’ office.

And more. For full details, read the bills themselves here: AB 243, AB 266, AB 643.

While some advocates raised concerns with certain provisions of the legislation, the move by the state to finally bestow official legality through regulation and licensing was welcomed by …read more

Source:: Weed Feed