Seasons Ending: Change is in the Air

It’s that time of year when we are almost finished, and we can’t help but think of what our season will look like next year.

SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT AB266

It’s time for the cannabis community to come out of the shadows and into the light. While California may become a legalized state next year, right now regulation of our medicine has been changed. With AB 266, we have no more proposition 215 “The Compassionate Use Act” and no more SB420. How can a bill take away the vote of the people – challenged with People v. Kelly (2010)? Do any of you see this as unconstitutional? I believe that we should take AB 266 to the voters. Put it on the ballot and let’s see what California really wants.

I’m in favor of regulation and even had a hand in the making of AB 266, but it was never discussed that it would replace anything we voted for. It’s hard enough to get growers to get recommendations and then register with the State of California. Now they have to tag their plants and register their property with the county or city they will be growing in. Heaven forbid if a farmer is one of the founders in our industry and has been arrested on felony charges while trying to develop a new strain of cannabis that destroys cancer cells. Or, you could be a cultivator busted while engineering a method of extraction that would allow a very sick patient to use an oil to medicate and to draw from a smokeless device to relieve pain and nausea immediately. Imagine punishing “felon” patients by not allowing them to do business in an industry they suffered and took risks to build. Is there not enough business for all of us? It’s times like this where I feel like asking: “Governor Brown, what are you smoking?”

By Shelby Lucero