California Assembly Committee Approves Bill Taxing, Regulating Marijuana

Elk Grove moves in different direction, seeks to extend moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries


In what the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) characterized as legislative history, the California Assembly’s Public Safety Committee approved a bill today that would tax and regulate marijuana use in the state.

A.B. 390, which passed on a 4-3 committee vote today, would regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. According to the MPP, the affirmative vote was the first time in U.S. history that a state legislature has ever passed or even considered a proposal to make marijuana legal, taxed and regulated.

The Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act was authored by Assembly member Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), the chair of the committee. Although the bill passed committee vote, it is believed the bill will not progress any further this year due to legislative calendar constraints.

While the state assembly takes initial steps towards regulation of marijuana, the Elk Grove City Council will consider extending its moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries at tomorrow night’s regular meeting.

Elk Grove City Attorney Susan Cochran has recommended passage of the urgency moratorium ordinance. In her report, Cochran included a California Police Chiefs Association study that said medical marijuana dispensaries have been tied to organized crime, foster large growing operations and are targets of criminal activities as they often possess large amounts of cash.