A National Model for Environmental and Social Responsibility

As a long-term medical cannabis patient advocate and proponent of marijuana legalization, I strongly believe the cannabis industry must, either voluntarily or through regulation, become carbon neutral and operate entirely on renewable energy? I think this is a reasonable demand, since the scientific consensus on climate change is clear — it’s happening and they consider the threat to be severe. Substantial changes are already occurring to the environment that effect many people; especially those who are impoverished.

That's why I was happy to recently hear, Mother Jones report (http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2015/09/california-medical-marijuana-bill-pot-smokers-environment) that here in California, our new state regulations, once Gov. Brown signs, could be "a national model for environmental and social responsibility." "The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, is uniquely Californian—which is to say, uniquely awesome. Whereas every other medical-marijuana state treats growing pot as a hazardous industrial activity, relegating it to warehouses or strictly guarded enclosures, California will basically regulate pot like any other crop, albeit with a few additional tracking and labeling requirements. That means the Emerald Triangle pretty much gets to keep doing its thing, while following the same environmental and safety rules that apply to growers of strawberries or pinot grapes."

Governor Jerry Brown, has until the 11th to sign the trio of medical marijuana bills that passed the Legislature. I join with Oakland Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) Don Duncan, Americans for Safe Access, Assemblymembers Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) and Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) and other local and state advocates to urge Governor Jerry Brown to sign these bills -
https://youtu.be/iIDj9PWVCRc

Update 10/4 EPIC applauds the Humboldt County Supervisors for their decision to begin drafting a large-scale medical marijuana land use ordinance that will comply with the new California state laws and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board’s water quality order. http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/existing-north-coast-cannabis-cultivators-come-into-compliance/#.Vg2v3H5PWBk.facebook