Pubdate: Sat, 05 Sep 2015 Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA) Copyright: 2015 Union-Tribune Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.utsandiego.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386 Note: Seldom prints LTEs from outside it's circulation area. AFTER 19 YEARS, WILL LEGISLATURE FINALLY ENACT MEDICAL POT REGULATIONS? The report out of Sacramento this week that Gov. Jerry Brown has engaged in a new effort to develop statewide regulation of medical marijuana is qualified good news. It's good because the Legislature has been unable to do it on its own for nearly two decades since California voters decriminalized pot for medical purposes in 1996. But it's qualified because it's still publicly unknown just what the governor is proposing. Among many sticking points in the contentious issue is the question of how to develop statewide regulations acceptable to all local communities, which over the years have shown gaping differences in how they approach the problem. Some prohibit marijuana dispensaries completely. Some, like San Diego, allow them only in certain areas. Some allow cultivation of medical pot and some don't. Another issue is the bureaucratic question of which state agency should be responsible for monitoring and enforcement of the regulations. And still another is the scientific question of measurable standards that law enforcement officers can use to detect drugged drivers. Whether all - or any - of these issues can be resolved in the short time left before legislators leave town at the end of next week is uncertain. But the governor's direct involvement offers some hope for a break in the 19-year logjam. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom