LOS ANGELES – Today, the LA City Council Rules, Elections, Intergovernmental Relations, and Neighborhoods Committee heard public comments on Motion 14-0366-S5 for a proposed March 2017 ballot initiative to reform Proposition D.
The Los Angeles Cannabis Task Force, a coalition of cannabis operators dedicated to the creation of a fair and vibrant cannabis industry that ensures a safe, lawful, and responsible climate for every entrepreneur, patient, and citizen of Los Angeles, issued a letter to the LA City Council and attended today’s meeting to recommend common-sense proposals to create a transparent and responsible local licensing process.
The following can be attributed to Ariel Clark, a leading cannabis industry attorney at Clark Neubert and Chair of the Task Force:
“The City of Los Angeles needs a new medical cannabis policy, but the city’s proposal as drafted fails the public, business owners and patients—and is inconsistent with state laws. Today, the Los Angeles Cannabis Task Force proposed nine common sense amendments to the city’s proposal. If done right, reforms to LA’s medical cannabis industry can fund important education, healthcare and law enforcement programs; align city and state laws; reduce crime; and keep hardworking Angelenos on the right side of the law. Our amendments will help the city achieve these positive outcomes, and we urge the council to adopt them. We encourage City staff to hold a public meeting with stakeholders before they submit their report to City Council.”
BACKGROUND: The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA) became California state law on January 1, 2016, and it intends to create many different license types for an inclusive and thriving cannabis industry. To get a state license though, entities must first obtain a local permit, a regulatory system that Los Angeles does not have in place. In response to this chaotic lack of regulation, insular groups are attempting to solidify Proposition D as the local licensing structure. This would ensure that only a limited number of operators would have the opportunity to receive local cannabis licensing. Its effect would reduce taxable revenue and jobs, create neighborhood safety issues, and force many entrepreneurs out of the local industry or into the black market.
Download the Task Force’s letter to City Council at http://bit.ly/cannabisletter.
Learn more at http://LaMedicalCannabisTaskForce.org/.
