cannabislaws

A new bill proposed in Sacramento this week would allow felony charges for anyone who has more than 6 cannabis plants without the proper licensing. The rather regressive AB1725 is said to be in response to the growing number of black market growers throughout California. Although this move seems to scream another round of prohibition, it comes at the exact same time as another bill that is effectively directly in opposition. AB1706 allows for faster resentencing for those who have been convicted of a cannabis related felony that is no longer a felony. It helps take those felonies and convert them into misdemeanors. The bill to reinstate felony charges has received negative feedback thus far. Lauren Varquez, a cannabis industry lawyer, said the bill is completely against the wishes of the voters, saying “It reinstates prohibition, exactly what the voters wanted to end.” It is unlikely that this bill would ever pass but it is interesting to see how some political groups are pushing for the cannabis prohibition era to be reinstated with heavy charges to be filed for seemingly minor crimes (in the grand scheme of things). We will see how this unfolds.