Medical Marijuana Safety and Regulation Act
Overview of the Medical Marijuana Act
In October 2015, the governor of California signed the Medical Marijuana Safety and Regulation Act into law. This act is a series of three different bills that deal with the medical marijuana industry in California. Together, the bills establish a system of licensing and regulation from the state for medical marijuana cultivators, manufacturers, transporters, testers, and dispensaries. The aim of the bills, and the single Act they all formed, is to make certain all medical marijuana businesses are operating under a single standard of guidelines that promote safety and transparency.
Because of the Medical Marijuana Safety and Regulation Act, it is important for all businesses in the medical marijuana industry in California to take measures to ensure they are compliant with the provisions of the Act. If you are unsure of any aspects of the Act, or whether your business or proposed medical marijuana business is compliant with it, it is important for you to consult with an attorney who is familiar with the Act. You need to contact the Law Office of Amy Chapman. Consulting with Amy Chapman, you can be sure your business is protected, along with your wallet. A consultation will keep your business open and assist you in avoiding some heavy fines for non-compliance with this new Act.
What is the Medical Marijuana Safety and Regulation Act?
Even though the law has been signed by the governor, it will not go into effect until January 1, 2016. It may take several months or more after that for all of the necessary government agencies and communication networks to be created and put into place to enforce the law. Licenses for new medical marijuana businesses may not be available during this time, as the new regulations and the government structures to support it are established. The existence and operations of existing businesses will not be affected, and they will not be required to be compliant with the new law until it starts being enforced. This gives everyone in the medical marijuana industry in California time to become compliant before compliance becomes mandatory. Seeing an attorney now is the best way to make sure your business is compliant, or to find out what you need to do to make it that way.
The Act regulates several different areas of the medical marijuana industry including:
- Manufacture
- Sale
- Transportation
- Cultivation
- Delivery
- Distribution
There are certain things in the Act that every business involved in the medical marijuana industry needs to know. There are new limitations on things like the size of cultivation to be allowed, and the number of retail stores permitted in the state at any given time. All medical marijuana cultivated within the state will be required to be tested to ensure a standardized product that contains no cannabinoids, impurities in the integrity of the plant, or other types of contaminants from the outside world, such as chemical contaminants, or metal, plastic, or paper contaminants introduced during processing. The Act also regulates the location of medical marijuana dispensaries to make sure they are not near any public school zones.
Contact the Law Office of Amy Chapman With Your Compliance Concerns
Attorney Amy Chapman is well-versed in the new Act and is in a unique position in being able to give you accurate and up to date information on compliance requirements and when those requirements must be in place for your business. Don’t leave the future of your business to chance by not understanding the new Act. Contact the Law Office of Amy Chapman for a consultation today.