Like many states that were early adopters of medical marijuana, California’s medical marijuana system is not regulated by a state agency. That is about to change though, as California’s Senate Appropriations Committee voted 5-1 this afternoon to gut, amend, and advance AB 266, as California moves to regulate medical marijuana.

Personal and caregiver medical marijuana rights go untouched, but everything else is considered commercial and requires one of about twelve different types of licenses.

Californians would get tested products and organic certifications. Cities could ban pot activity. Licensees would need both local and then state approval for a license.

Farms are capped at one acre, or 20,000 square-feet. Deliveries would be allowed, but only if tied to a physical dispensary. Farmers could process or extract, but can’t retail pot. Retailers could extract or process their own products, but couldn’t own the farm. Transporters would be separately licensed and independent.

With these steps California is seeming taking the opposite approach of Washington, who legalized retail marijuana and and then moved to regulate medical marijuana. The step to regulate medical marijuana is also a sign that California law makers are preparing for retail marijuana legislation.

Article Link: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/LegalizationNation/archives/2015/08/27/california-legislature-were-regulating-medical-marijuana