Pubdate: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Copyright: 2014 Los Angeles Times Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 Author: Tom Ammiano Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n241/a08.html CANNABIS CLASH Re "New rules for medical pot," Editorial, March 12 Your editorial notes that state Sen. Lou Correa's (D-Santa Ana) bill "has problems." But it ignores my AB 604, which would regulate medical cannabis without the problems your editorial correctly identifies. That includes heavy-handed regulation of legitimate doctors. My bill provides for discipline of medical bad actors without patronizing guidelines restricting all doctors. The shortcomings of the other bill are not surprising. Its sponsors have historically opposed any regulations and have spent the last 17 years trying to overturn the voter-approved Proposition 215. Some of those sponsors continue to be quoted as opposing any marijuana use, even though most Californians feel otherwise. California needs a bill preserving local control over dispensaries while providing for careful oversight of the production, transportation and sale of medical marijuana by an experienced agency equipped to do that. We need oversight to include environmental protection. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom