Federal progress, more scrutiny, & raids in CA all call for sensible medical cannabis regulations

Posted by 21pc on June 29, 2015

President ObamaFederal momentum behind medical cannabis reform continues to build. Last week, the White House lifted bureaucratic hurdles to scientific research. But with progress comes more scrutiny. One national study spotlighted serious inconsistencies in the way edibles are labeled for potency in California and Washington, and a second review of the scientific literature showed mixed results when it comes to the efficacy of medical cannabis for certain conditions.

Here in California, the state legislature seems determined to adopt some kind of medical cannabis regulations. Bills dealing with commercial licensing, environmental standards for cultivation, and manufacturing concentrates all have committee hearings soon. Meanwhile, local law enforcement raided numerous cannabis gardens in the Island Mountain area of the Emerald Triangle. Law enforcement spokespeople say more raids are coming, in part, because of illegal water diversion and other harmful cultivation practices.

Poor labeling, questions about efficacy, rules for cultivation, and more – it all points to the need for sensible regulations. ASA calls on local and state lawmakers to finish the long overdue work of fully implementing Proposition 215 by adopting guidelines that protect patients, providers, communities, and ecosystems. Read about all the medical cannabis news, events, action alerts, and more in this week’s California Weekly Roundup. 

 ASA California Weekly Roundup: June 29, 2015

Contents (Scroll down for details and links):

News

  • National
  • California
  • Local

Events

  • June 30, 2015 – Assembly Public Safety Committee Hearing on SB 212 and SB 303 (Sacramento)
  • July 2, 2015 - Best Practices Panel: Managing Your Money & Medicine (San Diego)
  • July 7, 2015 – Assembly Business and Professions Committee Hearing on SB 643 (Sacramento)
  • July 8, 2014 – Senate Governance and Finance Committee Hearing on AB 243 (Sacramento)
  • July, 8, 2015 – Senate Health Committee Hearing on AB 266 (Sacramento)

Court Support

  • June 29, 2015 – Court Support for Rick and Laprill Hearing (Pamona)
  • June 29, 2015 – Court Support for Trevor Alcorn (Redding)
  • June 29, 2015 – Court Support for the Stenhouse Family (Red Bluff)
  • More

Take Action Now

  • Sign the Petition to Ask Your Representative and Senators to Sign on to the CARERS Act! (National)
  • Tell CA Governor Brown to Sign AB 258 (California)

ASA Website Spotlight

  • Patient Focused Certification

Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

  • July 2, 2015 - Sonoma ASA (Santa Rosa)
  • July 2, 2015 – Brownie Mary Democratic Club of Sacramento (Sacramento)

News

Follow @ASAdonduncan on Twitter for medical cannabis news and more.

National 

White House removes obstacle to medical marijuana research

Buyer beware when it comes to medical marijuana 'edibles': Study

Medical marijuana: good evidence for some diseases, weak for other 

California

California Bill Helps Medical Marijuana Users Access Organ Transplants

Bill helps medical marijuana users access organ transplants

Bill To Allow Organ Transplants for Medical Marijuana Users Advances

Time to regulate medical marijuana

Let’s Regulate Medical Marijuana - Commentary by George Runner

California lawmakers appear ready to finally regulate medical marijuana

Study: pot cultivation is hurting the environment

During Pride, Thank the Gay People Who Made Pot Legal

Local 

Large-scale grow busts near Island Mountain (Emerald Triangle)

MCSO part of marijuana sweep near Island Mountain (Emerald Triangle)

Island Mountain pot sweeps expected to end today (Emerald Triangle)

Pot edibles manufacturing plant opens in Salinas (Salinas)

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Be Allowed under Proposed Santa Monica Zoning Law (Santa Monica)

Medical Marijuana Clinic Owner Admits to Forging Dr.’s Signature (San Diego)

Medical Marijuana Patients Fight Fresno County (Fresno County)

Green light given for 2 new medical marijuana dispensaries (San Diego)

Over 9,000 Vallejo Voters Sign Petition To Stop Bad Medical Marijuana Law (Vallejo)

Santa Ana, Mayor Sued After Police Raid Pot Shop, Munch Edibles on Viral Video (Santa Ana)

 Public Meetings & Events

June 30, 2015 – Assembly Public Safety Committee Hearing on SB 212 and SB 303 (Sacramento)
9:00 AM in Room 126 in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony and vote on SB 212 (Mendoza), which would increase sentences for manufacturing concentrated cannabis using a volatile solvent within 300 feet of an occupied residence. ASA opposes this bill in favor of science-based safety regulations. The committee will also hear testimony and vote on SB 303 (Hueso), which will loosen the rules for retaining cannabis seized as evidence. ASA has no position on this bill. Send your comments to the committee at http://apsf.assembly.ca.gov before June 25 at 4:00 PM. Read more about the bills and download fact sheets at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

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July 2, 2015 - Best Practices Panel: Managing Your Money & Medicine (San Diego)
4:00 PM at 3030 Front St., San Diego, CA 92103. The Alliance for Responsible Medicinal Access invites you to an exclusive educational panel featuring representatives from the Franchise Tax Board, Board of Equalization, and other industry experts to discuss the importance of managing your money and your medicine. Networking will take place from 4-4:30, panel will begin promptly at 4:30. This event is FREE to ARMA Members and $20 for Non Members. More information: http://www.responsibleaccess.org/event/best-practices-medical-marijuana-managing-money-medicine/

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July 7, 2015 – Assembly Business and Professions Committee Hearing on SB 643 (Sacramento)
9:00 AM in Room 447 in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony and vote on SB 643 (McGuire), which would establish an office within the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate dispensing facilities, cultivation sites, transporters, and manufacturers of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, subject to local ordinances. ASA supports the bill, but will be suggesting amendments. You can send your comments to the committee at http://abp.assembly.ca.gov Read more about the bill and download fact sheet at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

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July 8, 2014 – Senate Governance and Finance Committee Hearing on AB 243 (Sacramento)
9:30 AM in Room 112 in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony and vote on AB 243 (Wood), which would require most medical cannabis cultivators to obtain a permit from their local government, law enforcement, or a state agency designated by the Governor. The bill also imposes additional restrictions, including limits on the number of plants that can be cultivated under certain circumstances.  ASA opposes the bill, unless the plant numbers are removed or dramatically revised. You can send your comments to the committee at http://sgf.senate.ca.gov Read more about the bill and download fact sheet at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

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July, 8, 2015 – Senate Health Committee Hearing on AB 266 (Sacramento)
1:30 PM in Room 4203 in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony and vote on AB 266 (Bonta), which will create state licensing and regulations for commercial medical cannabis activity. The bill also makes it unprofessional conduct for a doctor to recommend medical cannabis without an exam and diagnosis. ASA supports the bill, but is seeking important amendments. Send your comments to the committee at http://shea.senate.ca.gov before July 2. Read more about the bill and download a fact sheet at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

Court Support

What is Court Support and how do I get involved? 

June 29, 2015 – Court Support for Rick and Laprill Hearing (Pamona)
8:15 AM at 400 Civic Center Plaza, Ponoma , CA 91766. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendants.

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June 29, 2015 – Court Support for Trevor Alcorn (Redding)
9:30 AM at 1500 Court St, Redding, CA 96001.  Settlement hearing. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendant.

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June 29, 2015 – Court Support for the Stenhouse Family (Red Bluff)
3:00 PM at 445 Pine St, Red Bluff, CA 96080. Preliminary motions. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendants. 

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Find more information and additional listings on The Human Solution Calendar: http://www.thsintl.org/calendar

Take Action Now

Sign the Petition to Ask Your Representative and Senators to Sign on to the CARERS Act! (National)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/senate_carers_act_petition

The CARERS Act is the most comprehensive piece of federal medical marijuana legislation that has ever been introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate. The bipartisan legislation would remedy the state-federal conflict over medical marijuana laws. The bill would allow state programs to continue without federal inference, move marijuana out of Schedule I, remove CBD from the scheduling, create access to banking services for legal marijuana businesses, end the Public Health service review process and NIDA monopoly that blocks research, and allow VA doctors to write recommendations in states that have a medical marijuana program. Sign the petition to support CARERS today.

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Tell CA Governor Brown to Sign AB 258 (California)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/tell_ca_governor_brown_to_sign_ab_258

The California Legislature has approved AB 258, the Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act. The Governor now has 12 days to sign or veto the bill. Will you take a minute right now to ask Governor Brown to sign AB 258 right away?AB 258 prohibits discrimination against medical cannabis patients in the organ transplant process, unless a doctor has determined that medical cannabis use is clinically significant to the transplant process. Medical cannabis patients in California are routinely removed from the organ transplant waiting list if they test positive for cannabis use – even legal doctor-recommended medical cannabis.

ASA Website Spotlight

Patient Focused Certification
http://patientfocusedcertification.org

Patient Focused Certification, PFC is an innovative new program that is calibrating the medical cannabis industry for excellence.  Comprehensive and flexible, PFC is what patients, healthcare providers, companies, and regulators can depend on to identify reliable, high-quality medical cannabis products and services.

ASA has created PFC to address product and distribution safety in the medical cannabis industry. The program provides components for operators, legislators and regulators to promote the adoption of safe and reasonable industry standards and regulations from seed to consumption.

PFC is a third-party certification program for the medical cannabis industry based on the new quality standards for medical cannabis products and businesses issued by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and the American Herbal Pharmacopeia (AHP) Cannabis monograph.  PFC Certification and professional training is available in all 20 medical cannabis states and the District of Columbia.

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

July 2, 2015 - Sonoma ASA (Santa Rosa)
The meeting starts at 5:00 PM at Arlene Francis Center, 99 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Email [email protected] for more information.

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July 2, 2015 – Brownie Mary Democratic Club of Sacramento (Sacramento)
6:30 PM at Perko's 3rd & J,925 J Street, in Sacramento, CA. Email [email protected] for more information. 

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See all California ASA Chapter Meetings here:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/california_advocacy 

Have something to share?

The “California Weekly Roundup” is a once-a-week email for ASA Members and Friends that focuses on relevant news and important updates, action alerts, meetings and special events. Send items for the California Weekly Roundup to [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's distribution.