As businesses and activists for legal weed wonder how the cannabis industry will fare in the new administration, California legislators are proposing a bill, called Assembly Bill 1578, to essentially keep the state’s control over marijuana law enforcement.
The proposed legislation would prohibit state and local agencies — unless served with a court order — from using local money, facilities or personnel to assist a federal agency to “investigate, detain, report, or arrest” any person for commercial or noncommercial marijuana or medical cannabis activity that is authorized by law in the State of California — and transferring an individual to federal law enforcement authorities for purposes of marijuana enforcement.” California authorities would also be barred from responding to requests by federal authorities for the personal information of anyone issued state licenses for a marijuana operation.
“This is the equivalent of noncooperation on deportation and environmental laws, part of the larger California resistance to federal intrusion,” Dale Gieringer, state coordinator of California NORML, told LA Weekly.
Not all cannabis advocate groups are on board with the idea, however. “Cherry-picking when to respect states’ rights and arbitrarily doing so is inconsistent at best and confusing at most,” Adam Spiker, the executive director of Southern California Coalition, a lobbying group for Greater L.A. pot enterprises, said. “We are looking forward to making sure the intent of AB 1578 becomes law.”
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