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Video - California Senate Committee Hearing on AB 243
The California Senate Appropriations Committee
heard two medical cannabis bills yesterday: AB 266 and AB 243. Both have been moved to the suspense
file meaning either or both will be voted on by the full Senate, or die in the
file.
AB 266 is over-burdensome, pay-to-play regulation
that supports coercive monopolies and bans. Nowhere in the bill is a seat on the task force for a
patient representative, only bureaucrats and lobbyists. AB 266 is disguised to look like
reasonable regulation but in reality dismantles Prop. 215.
AB 243 creates a new tax on medical cannabis
cultivation and states, “the bill
would impose a tax in an unspecified amount on marijuana flowers, marijuana
leaves, and immature marijuana plants.”
It is a new tax on medical cannabis growers that will be passed on to
the patient. We already know that
unreasonable taxation on medical cannabis only pushes patients to the black or
gray market.
SB 643 will be heard in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee but is not yet on the agenda.
Unfortunately, Sacramento gets is wrong
again. Instead of protecting
patients, the California legislature continues to support industry lobbyists, bans,
restrictions, and more taxation. It
is anticipated that AB 266 will be gutted and merged with SB 643 and/or AB
243. However, these are the bills
to watch as the 2015 legislative session will close on September 11, 2015.
To let your Senator or Assemblymember know where
you stand, find your representative here: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov
Contact information for the full California
Senate: http://senate.ca.gov/senators
Contact information for the full California
Assembly: http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers
