On September 11, 2015, lawmakers in California passed a collection of legislation that collectively would institute a statewide regulatory framework for businesses that retail and cultivate marijuana intended for medical purposes.
But under said legislation (which has yet to be signed by Governor Brown), medical marijuana collectives and cooperatives would eventually be phased out of business leaving a host of patients who are members of these types of marijuana dispensaries pondering as to where they will be able to access their supply of pot.
The Phasing Out of Collectives
If and when the governor signs the bills into law, medical marijuana businesses would be able to keep operating as they are right now until at least January 1, 2018, which is when the formal state licensing process is anticipated to launch into action.
When the aforementioned date arrives, existing medical marijuana businesses could proceed with their operation until their application (if they apply for one) has been acted on.
The state agencies responsible for penning and adopting the regulations would have until January 1, 2017 to do so.
Although the transition will be somewhat measured, the framework laid out in the legislation would not license collectives and cooperates as they currently exist. But there are provisions listed in the legislation which state that the collective/cooperative defense would remain in effect for one year after the powers that be announce they've started issuing medical marijuana business licenses.
Once the bills in question are finalized, rules still need to be formed in order to implement the legislation, and the state's legislature could quite plausibly amend some of its current provisions.
Stay tuned to The 420 Times for any updates regarding the legislation's progress.
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