Taming Wild West of pot

In an attempt to clean up the quagmire that is medical marijuana regulation in California, state legislators are attempting to adopt standards that will hold up with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Assembly Bill 266 would create the Office of Marijuana Regulation within the governor's office, while licensing fees would be collected by the departments of Public Health and Food and Agriculture and the Board of Equalization, according to The Associated Press. AB 266 would also call for criminal background checks by the state Department of Justice and enforcement of wastewater standards by the State Water Resources Control Board. Local governments would still have discretion to approve or reject commercial marijuana operations.

The bill has cleared the Assembly and now heads to the Senate for a vote.