Earlier this summer, City Council released draft regulations and a draft zoning ordinance on the licensing for commercial cannabis businesses. Per Proposition 64 which was passed by voters in November 2016, commercial businesses can begin to operate as early as January 1, 2018. Los Angeles City Council is aiming to have regulations in place well before that date so businesses can open on Day One.
While commendable in many ways, the city’s draft regulations are missing several important components. It is crucial that the city carefully craft commercial cannabis regulations to ensure equity and public health are prioritized. We have written a comment letter with our partners asking the city to take a step back and address the following issues before finalizing their regulations:
Prioritize education, public health, and prevention services, especially for at-risk youth
Clearly define social equity and policies that will ensure implementation and enforcement
Identify best practices and train law enforcement to prevent racial and age discrimination
For more information, please read the letter below.