California Cannabis PAC Takes the Lead on New Legislation
(PRWEB) August 25, 2014 -- A bill that would have provided statewide regulation for the cannabis industry failed last week, and California Cannabis Voice Humboldt is now taking the lead in tandem with legislators to craft a new bill based on CCV’s guiding principles.
CCV was actively opposed to SB 1262, as it would have created massive blackout zones throughout the state with no provisions for CBD access and no protection for cultivators who want to play by the rules. To educate the public about the origins and implications of SB 1262, CCV also created an opposition video ad, highlighting that the bill was written largely by law enforcement bureaucrats.
Representatives from CCV also worked diligently with the Assembly Committee on Appropriations that lead to the bill’s defeat, said Matt Kumin, civil rights attorney and executive director of CCV.
“Now we are gearing up for the next legislative session,” Kumin said. “When the bill was defeated, we were already on the phone talking to people to co-sponsor a bill in the legislature.”
The hours after the bill’s defeat were fast-paced and went well into the night -- there was no time to craft a public statement celebrating the bill’s defeat, said Matt Gray, a lobbyist for CCV. California desperately needs a statewide licensing and regulation framework, but SB 1262 was a poison pill, he said. Now that it’s dead, California can create a bill with actual input from the many facets of the industry.
“We know the issues, we know the stakeholders, and we understand what needs to be done,” said Gray, who has coordinated with lawmakers he would like to see carry the legislation next year. “We welcome local government participation in that process.”
Allison Edrington, California Cannabis Voice, http://cannabisvoice.org/?page_id=112, +1 (707) 267-5592, [email protected]
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