Last month on election night, states across the country passed a wide variety of laws, easing restrictions for legal cannabis. In fact, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia all passed voter initiatives allowing not only for medical cannabis use, but recreational use as well. The progress being made by the national legalization movement is undeniable, and new ground is being broken each day. The continued progress of the movement is evident on both a national and local level. For the first time ever, states that do not recognize medical cannabis are in the minority in this country, with four jurisdictions allowing for non-medical use by adults. In addition, in the absence of robust state regulation, many cities and municipalities are taking the lead by passing their own cannabis regulations. A great example of a city staying ahead of the curve by passing common-sense cannabis regulation is Santa Ana.
This past election, the voters of Santa Ana passed Measure BB, a council-referred amendment calling for the regulation of marijuana dispensaries within city limits. Under this new initiative, prospective dispensary operators will be required to undergo an in-depth permit application process that will require background checks for all employees, licensed security personnel at each location, and a local tax on all products sold. Although this bill is far from perfect, Measure BB represents an acknowledgment from the city of Santa Ana that safe access to medical cannabis is vital to the public health of its citizens, and that the cities old approach of banning and raiding dispensaries was not working.
We at MJ Legal are very excited by these developments. With each passing month, an increasing number of jurisdictions in California are recognizing that legal cannabis in their communities is here to stay and the best approach towards this issue for everyone involved is to create common-sense laws and regulations.
Interested in Applying for a Santa Ana Dispensary Permit?
Measure BB passed in Santa Ana on November 4th, 2014. On December 17th, the city of Santa Ana will begin accepting registration applications from prospective dispensary operators. Those applicants who are pre-qualified will then be entered into a lottery, where at least 20 applicants will be chosen to formally apply for a city Health and Safety Permit for a medical marijuana dispensary or collective.
The attorneys of MJ Legal, PC have years of experience assisting collectives to comply with state and local regulations, and are ready to assist you throughout the permit application process. If you are interested in learning more about applying for your own medical cannabis dispensary permit from the city of Santa Ana, please call and schedule an appointment today!
No comments:
Post a Comment