Oakland, CA _ As California gears up to establish a legal, taxed and tightly regulated system for medical and adult-use cannabis, Alameda County is hosting a Winter Cannabis Summit on Wednesday, December 20th, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. at the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chambers, according to a press release.
The goal is to bring key stakeholders together to address the challenges and opportunities related to critical cannabis policy implementation. Starting Jan. 1, 2018, the sale and taxation of cannabis for adult use will be legal in California. To prepare, Alameda County has been actively involved in helping to shape the landscape of cannabis cultivation, retail sale, manufacturing, and distribution in California.
“The cannabis industry is emerging as a major force,” commented Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, organizer of the County’s Winter Cannabis Summit, in the release. “We have a great opportunity for a new source of untapped tax revenue to strengthen our public infrastructure and to grow jobs.”
The summit will begin with a morning session panel with State licensing officials. State representatives from the Bureau of Cannabis Control, CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing, California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Office of Manufactured Cannabis Safety, and California Department of Public Health will be participating. The focus will be on regulations for medical and adult-use cannabis for licensing, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, testing labs and microbusinesses. The panel will also include information about a track-and-trace system to record the movement of cannabis through the distribution chain.
“As we move toward issuing the first start licenses for commercial cannabis activity, the state’s three licensing authorities are grateful for the opportunity to interact with our key local government partners,” Bureau of Cannabis Control Chief Lori Ajax commented. “A tremendous amount of work has gone into this process and we wouldn’t be in the position we are today without the feedback received at events like this summit.”
The afternoon panel session will include Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, prevention specialists, and community partners focused on what legalization brings and cannabis education for youth. The session will also include information about how schools and community groups can prevent access to cannabis.
