Going legal

I heard the Legislature finally took action on comprehensive, statewide medical cannabis regulations. Any thoughts on the matter?

—Medical Matt

I don’t really know what to say. Last week, the California Legislature pretty much kicked everyone out of the room and created a set of regulations. They posted the new bill shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday and voted their approval around midnight. Since the governor’s office was heavily involved in drafting the new provisions of this bill, it is expected that Jerry Brown will sign it into law. I haven’t had a chance to read superdeep into the fine print, but I think it will be OK.

These new laws will give authority over medical cannabis regulations to a variety of groups. Multiple departments are involved: Public Health, Fish and Wildlife, Agriculture, they all get to come up with more rules for water use, farm operations, yadda yadda. People will have to buy a permit or a license from the state and the city they do business in. This will be tough for some because cities and counties can still ban dispensaries or cannabis production. My understanding is that noncommercial medical growing has been left untouched, but that any and all commercial growing will be tightly controlled. Fortunately, there will be a variety of licenses and permits available (small grower, large farm, cannabis processor, edibles manufacturer, etc.). My hope is that the fees aren’t so expensive that they keep some cannabis cultivators underground. Apparently, there will be background checks. Hopefully, the state won’t let a criminal conviction for a cannabis-related “crime” keep some dedicated cannabis advocates out of this newly regulated industry.

Here’s the deal: We are still winning. We (meaning all the activists, advocates and rabble-rousers) have been asking for medical cannabis regulation for years. This is what it looks like. It may not be perfect (yet), but this is a big, giant step forward. Now, some folks are gonna be upset and get all deep in their feels because their outlaw days are damn near over. We are going to have to go legit, and some of us may not be able to do it. I just hope we can remember to keep our counter-cultural vibes and spirit intact as we journey into this new world of rules and legitimacy. As always, if you don’t like this law, find a cannabis legalization initiative you like, and work like hell to get it on the ballot.

Didn’t I see you at the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference? What were your thoughts on it?

—Penn Dalton

It was great! The thing I really enjoyed was seeing all the politicians (big up Sens. Floyd Prozanski, Ann Lininger and Earl Blumenauer!) voicing their unequivocal support for cannabis legalization. Prozanski especially seems to understand that making it difficult for growers and sellers to go legit will just make it easier for outlaws to stay underground. I wish California had a similar politician or two. (Besides Gavin Newsom. He’s awesome, but we need more.) I also enjoyed all the good weed in Portland, Ore., these days. These cats can grow!