AB 1894, a California bill that aimed to regulate medical marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol, was rejected by the state Assembly on Thursday in a 26-31 vote, according to a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The bill was authored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), who argued that the expansion of medical marijuana dispensaries in the state has gotten out of control.
“The way things are now is not acceptable,” said Ammiano in the report. “There is chaos; there is no order. It allows for so many bad actors that the whole issue becomes besmirched.”
Ammiano’s bill would have directed the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to “police” dispensaries, issuing fines and shuttering medical marijuana businesses for non-compliance. According to the report, opponents of the bill, including the influential League of California Cities, said they “did not trust the agency’s track record” with regard to shutting down non-compliant liquor stores.
On Wednesday, the state Senate unanimously passed a similar marijuana regulation bill; introduced by Sen. Lou Carrea (D-Anaheim), SB 1262 mandates that state dispensaries must receive permits from local governments or else be ineligible to obtain licenses from the California Department of Consumer Affairs.
Somewhat ironically, the unanimously passed SB 1262 will head to the California Assembly, and is expected to be taken up by the Assembly Public Safety Committee, headed by none other than Assemblyman Tom Ammiano. According to the Union-Tribune, Ammiano may try to collaborate with Correa on a revised version of the bill.
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