House panel OK’s medical marijuana regs

By Charles Ashby
Monday, March 22, 2010

The House Judiciary Committee approved a highly amended measure today that would lead to the creation of medical marijuana centers in the state.

The new centers would operate much like the many dispensaries that have cropped up in the past year only with stricter regulations.

House Bill 1284 would require the centers to obtain a license from the state and still abide by whatever zoning regulations are approved by local governments.

Those new regulations include requiring each marijuana sale to be digitally recorded, sale areas to be limited to patients authorized to use the herb, and anyone convicted of a felony would be barred from opening a center for at least five years.

Dispensaries and caregivers that opt not to get state licensing would be limited to serving no more than five patients, but those that operate in areas of the state that ban centers altogether would be allowed to serve up to 16 patients.

The controversial measure heads to the House Appropriations Committee for more debate.