Lindsay Yoshitomi is an attorney with Simas & Associates, Ltd. She can be contacted at lyoshitomi@ simasgovlaw.com.
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he Sacramento County Bar Association’s Public Law, Environmental Law, and Administrative Law Sections co-hosted a lunch program entitled, “From the ground up: Implementing the Medical Cannabis Regulation & Safety Act – cultivating solutions to administrative, regulatory, environmental, and consumer protection challenges.” This
Lori Ajax responding to a question
is a fitting title, as California is entering into unfamiliar territory, even creating a new bureau to regulate and license the budding medical marijuana industry. Several public entities, including the Departments of Consumer Affairs, Food and Agriculture, Health, Pesticide Regulation, Fish and Wildlife, and the State Water Resources Control Board, are collaborating on responsibilities that include the regulation of everything from cultivation, to manufacturing, to distribution—literally everything “from the ground up.” Lori Ajax, Chief of the recently established Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation at the California Department of Consumer Affairs, spoke to a packed event center regarding her department’s regulatory approach, implementation
SECTION & AFFILIATE NEWS
Administrative, Environmental, and Public Law Sections Co-Host Leaders of Medical Cannabis Regulation Discussion by Lindsay Yoshitomi timelines, public information sessions, and public interest surveys. Michele Dias, General Counsel for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, explained that her department is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) to provide information about the potential environmental effects associated with the adoption
is in some pretty heady waters. At the same time, it appears that there is a lot left to do in the next 20 or so months.” The state aims to start accepting medical marijuana licensing applications in January 2018, so many of the finer details are still being ironed out. The departments are leaving no stone unturned and are actively reach-
Michele Dias speaking
and implementation of statewide medical cannabis cultivation regulations. Both speakers fielded thought-provoking questions from attorneys wanting to know more about the implementation of new regulations for medical marijuana. Many attendees wanted to know what these departments are doing to learn about the industry. “It really is amazing how far the Bureau has come in such a short amount of time,” commented Justin Hein, Vice Chair of the Administrative Law Section. “And it appears they are doing as comprehensive a job as can be expected in investigating a long-standing staple of the underground economy. Plus, drafting foundational regulations for an entire new bureau—let alone, industry—
ing out to all four corners of the state, talking to the public and businesses already established in the medical marijuana arena, touring testing labs and cultivation sites, and conducting studies. Ajax has been holding pre-regulatory meetings to gather input on the upcoming regulations, provide the public with information about the new agencies, answer questions, and explain and encourage participation in the regulatory process. Similarly, Dias’s office held scoping meetings for the PEIR. The information gathered in these meetings is likely to be invaluable to regulating medical cannabis. And with the recent passage of Proposition 64 legalizing recreational marijuana, these public agencies will be on the cutting edge.
www.sacbar.org | January/February 2017 | SACRAMENTO LAWYER
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