SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- With the state gearing up for the legal sales of marijuana, Assemblyman Tom Lackey is looking toward enforcement.
Lackey introduced Assembly Bill 1733, which will designate the CHP as the lead state law enforcement agency to combat the drug’s black market.
“In my district, we have two communities, Rosamond and Littlerock, that have all these dispensaries that are not following the pathway that was expected by Prop 215. Now we have Prop 64. There’s going to be a greater demand. I know how big a problem this is going to be if we don’t have an enforcement arm to actually take action,” said Lackey.
The CHP has 102 field offices with investigators across the state. Using their enforcement could reduce drug trafficking and unlicensed growing and selling.
“Once we get the coordinated enforcement arm in place, these illegal growers are going to be taken on in a very serious way. We can make a strong impact and make sure some of these illegal growers are held accountable for their behavior. They can either come into compliance or face punitive action,” said Lackey.
Law enforcement officers report that early indications show that getting existing cannabis growers to apply for licenses is challenging under the new legal system. Lackey hopes this bill will change that.
"I just look forward to a whole different perspective on dispensaries than currently exists because there's really been no enforcement arm and communities have had a difficult time trying to manage because the rules have been very vague," said Lackey.
The bill will be brought before the State Assembly in January.