In September, during the Oakland International Film Festival, Governor Gavin Newsom (D) talked about the benefits of federal legalization for California growers, who could potentially supply the nation with premium legal cannabis.
He also thanked cannabis advocates and activists for their leadership and for helping to achieve the “significant milestone” of legalize cannabis in California in 2016.
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Federal reform is needed
Newsom noted that the state still needs to work on the “imperfections” in the legislation. “We know, as I said, the fight is not over. We still have a lot of work to do, not just here in the state, but also at the federal level, to move forward with decriminalization and ending federal prohibition,” he said.
The governor is interested in the interstate cannabis market in the United States and the fact that his state could “legally supply the rest of the nation”.
Federal legalization “allowing our farmers to legally supply the rest of the nation – that’s essential,” Newsom added, as long as authorities certify it does not pose “significant legal risk” to the state.
Cannabis producers are first in the supply chain
Newsom recently signed a billamong nine other marijuana-related laws, which establishes a framework for interstate commerce, which is essential for cannabis producers in the state.
Below SB 1326 by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced), California may enter into agreements with other states to allow cannabis transactions with entities outside of state borders.
As Marijuana Moment reports, unblocking the interstate marijuana trade could prove particularly lucrative for California, where the climate is ideal for outdoor cultivation, which could help meet demand in other states.
According to a legislative analysis, the new legislation “would prohibit an entity holding a cannabis business license issued under the laws of another state from engaging in cannabis business activity within the boundaries of that state without a license from State, or in a local jurisdiction without a license, permit or other authorization issued by the local jurisdiction”.
Currently, under federal prohibition, only commercial marijuana exports that cross state lines constitute illegal trafficking. Thus, allowing interstate commerce could help further control the illicit market by reducing demand for unregulated products and allowing farmers to earn a living legally.
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Photo: Courtesy of Dimitri MARRIE by Shutterstock and Wikimedia Commons // Edited by Benzinga