California releases rules for Medical Marijuana

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on May 01, 2017.

With a view to impose a better order in marijuana business, the Brown administration on Friday released 114 pages of draft regulations for the sale and use of medical marijuana in California, and invited a 45-day comment period before they become law.

The regulation would establish the first comprehensive rules for growing, testing, transporting and selling medical marijuana across the state, a long time demand by various stake holders involved in the marijuana business.

“The broad objectives of these proposed regulations are to create a state licensed and regulated commercial cannabis market,” the rules said. “The specific benefits anticipated are increased protection of the public and the environment from the harms associated with an unregulated commercial cannabis market.”

According the rules, all medical marijuana would be lab-tested and tracked from seed to sale. Patients would be limited to buying up to 8 ounces of marijuana flowers a day and dispensaries could no longer be allowed to provide free samples.

In addition, edible marijuana products can contain no more than 10 milligrams of THC per serving, and no more than 100 milligrams per package. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive chemical compound in marijuana.

Commercial vehicle containing medical marijuana could not be left in a neighborhood overnight, all dispensaries would have to close by 9 p.m. and packaging would have to be difficult for children to open etc are some important rules featured in the regulations.

California voters approved a ballot to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults in last November.

The new medical marijuana rules in California will take effect by the end of the year in 2018. Medical marijuana businesses could see compliance costs jump by $125,000 per year for a small business and $310,000 per year for an average business, according to estimation by regulators.

comments powered by Disqus