The leader of the state Health Department on Wednesday shared with a legislative working group a list of concerns raised by state agencies over implementation of State Question 788.

The state Health Board backed off on emergency rules for medical marijuana after being told it lacked the statutory authority. Those controversial rules included prohibiting smokable forms of marijuana, putting a pharmacist in every dispensary and capping THC concentration.

State Question 788 legalized medical marijuana in Oklahoma but did not set up a detailed framework for the program's implementation in the state, with that work statutorily left to the Legislature.

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Sonoma County supervisors Tuesday advanced revisions to rules governing cannabis businesses and farms outside city limits that would include allowing recreational sales at dispensaries and limiting most cultivation sites to properties 10 acres or larger.

The Board of Supervisors rejected two proposals aimed at addressing an increasingly contentious debate over where outdoor growing should occur in Sonoma County. One would have allowed neighborhood groups to lobby supervisors to ban cultivation in their areas on a case-by-case basis. The other would have enabled cultivators to appeal to the board to allow cultivation in an area where it’s currently prohibited.

Instead, the board opted to balance the interests of the two competing interests — marijuana farmers and anti-pot neighborhood groups — by signaling support for a more thorough permitting process for smaller pot farms, which are more likely to prompt concerns from neighbors than larger ones, according to county officials.

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Disadvantaged workers in San Francisco could get training for jobs in the cannabis industry under a proposed government program that would require businesses to hire the graduates.

The program, dubbed CityGrow, is modeled after CityBuild, an existing government program overseen by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, that provides training for disadvantaged residents to land jobs in the construction industry.

Supervisor Ahsha Safai introduced the legislation last week for “advancing workforce equity.”

He told the San Francisco Examiner Tuesday that the intent is “to make sure everyday San Franciscans are able to take advantage of these opportunities.”

He noted that when the Board of Supervisors approved regulations for recreational cannabis late last year that became legal this year under Proposition 64 there was an understanding proposals would follow related to the industry’s workforce.

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PRESS RELEASE - The Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) has announced that the second of three public hearings for the proposed non-emergency cannabis regulations will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 14 in Los Angeles. The hearing is intended to provide the public with an opportunity to voice their opinions on the rulemaking process. 

During the hearing, the public is welcome to present oral comments or submit written comments in person as it pertains to the Bureau’s proposed regulations. 

BUREAU OF CANNABIS CONTROL – PUBLIC HEARING IN LOS ANGELES:

WHERE: Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071

WHEN: Tuesday, Aug.14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. to noon

Oral comments given at the hearing will be recorded by the Bureau. To ensure that all hearing attendees have an opportunity to provide oral comments, each speaker may be limited to a specific amount of time to comment. Those who wish to provide an oral comment may also wish to bring a written comment to submit at the hearing. 

Dates and locations for future hearings, including information on hearings hosted by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, are listed in the following link: https://cannabis.ca.gov/meetings-events/.

SEATING LIMITED: Meeting attendees are encouraged to arrive early, as the Bureau cannot guarantee seating in the event the room reaches capacity.

For additional information on future public hearings, proposed cannabis regulations, how to become involved in the regulatory process, or to subscribe to email alerts to hear about updates as they become available, please visit the Bureau’s website at http://www.bcc.ca.gov/. For information on all three state licensing authorities, please visit the state’s California Cannabis Portal at https://cannabis.ca.gov/. Follow the Bureau on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for daily news and updates.

Those looking to get in touch with the Bureau of Cannabis Control can reach our Call Center at 833-768-5880, or send an email to bcc@dca.ca.gov.