Marijuana Businesses Pushes for More Regulations
Published on 2/16/12
A group of California dispensaries has gotten behing The Medical Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act which would enact stricter rules and regulations for state wide businesses. This act would create the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Enforcement to make sure that businesses follow the guidelines set by the act.
The oldest group that represents the political interests of L.A. marijuana dispensaries is
getting behind a statewide voter initiative that would provide tighter government control of pot shops.
Say what?
An alliance of cannabis collectives is actually in favor of greater California regulation? Yes, and here's why:
Pot shops in L.A. and across California are against the ropes. In Los Angeles they're on the verge of being banned altogether. Dispensaries seem to want to show that they can be safe and legal.
The Medical Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act would not only tax, license and regulate pot shops, it would create a Bureau of Medical Marijuana Enforcement to make sure they follow the rules.
One of the proposed initiative's authors is none other than longtime dispensary advocate Don Duncan.
The Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance (GLACA) this week says it's all for the initiative. Who's a longtime affiliate of the group? Don Duncan. (He's even listed as a contact on the press release announcing the org's support for the statewide proposal.)
GLACA only lists 13 "affiliated collectives" on its website, but it has been a relatively powerful voice when the L.A. City Council takes up the issue of regulating the 500 or so pot shops in town. City Hall's latest move, still in progress, is to ban them all.
The group's president, Yami Bolanos, says this:
"We see this voter initiative as a necessary step in protecting patients, local access to medicine, and our communities."
The org is putting $50,000 behind the effort, which still needs to gather valid signatures to get on the ballot. Would you vote for it?
