As California voters prepare to vote in November on whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider an ordinance prohibiting such business in the countys unincorporated areas.
In an effort to stay up-to-date on new and proposed laws regarding medical and recreational marijuana, the county is looking to update its development code so it is in line with the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA), which went into effect Jan. 1, and a proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational use should California taxpayers approve the ballot measure during the Nov. 8 presidential election.
The MMRSA and the proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational use, known as the Parker Initiative, would still allow cities and counties to prohibit, regulate, and/or license the marijuana industry in their jurisdictions.
The proposed county ordinance would prohibit all forms of commercial cannabis activity in the countys unincorporated areas, including marijuana produced for recreational use should it become legal.
In summary, the proposed ordinance would update the development code to be consistent with current state laws related to marijuana, and would preserve local prohibition of commercial cannabis activities related to medical marijuana as well as recreational use of marijuana, county Land Use Services Director Tom Hudson said in a staff report prepared for county supervisors.
The MMRSA created additional layers of government oversight and licensing on the cultivation, sale and distribution of medical marijuana, among other things.
The Parker Initiative, if passed, would legalize recreational use of marijuana for adults age 21 and over. The initiative is named after one of its biggest backers, former Facebook president and Napster cofounder Sean Parker.
Under the proposed county ordinance, an exemption would apply to specified state licensed health care and residential care facilities, and qualified medical marijuana patients and primary caregivers with no more than five patients would be allowed to cultivate, indoors, a maximum of 12 plants per patient and a maximum of 24 plants per private residence.
The proposed ordinance would also expand standards for the indoor cultivation of marijuana, mandating that cultivation occur in secure, locked areas of private residences, away from minors and not visible from outside the residence. Cultivation would also be prohibited in mobile home parks and common use areas of multi-family housing complexes, as well as any place providing child day care.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: What Steps San Bernardino County Is Taking To Regulate Marijuana
Author: Staff
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