Bill lets Calif. cities control medical marijuana

The state Assembly has voted to give more power to California cities to regulate medical marijuana according to AP reports.

Democratic state Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield says claims confusion over who has final authority over medical marijuana dispensaries has led to higher crime and illegal sales, although their is no statistics to back up these claims. Assemblyman Blumenfield also happens to be from Los Angelas, which has spent most of the last year closing dispensaries through local regulation.

This bill could be very harmful, as it gives local government the ability to close dispensaries, which could send patients to the streets to find their medicine of choice.

Democratic Assemblyman and medical marijuana supporter Tom Ammiano of San Francisco objected saying he wanted the bill to include the term “dispensaries.” His logic was to help legitimize dispensaries which have been often the target of federal raids.

AB1300 was introduced with the intent let cities and other local governments make decisions about how to best regulate medical marijuana. Locations, crime prevention policy, licensing, taxation, hours and other rules related to the regulation of medical marijuana would be regulated locally. The bill was approved 53-1 Friday and now goes to the Senate.

Here is a copy of the bill.