Board Passes Hahn-Kuehl Motion to Begin Implementation of Proposition 64—Legalized Cannabis in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles, CA — Today, in a motion co-authored by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Sheila Kuehl, the Board voted to take steps to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for legalized cannabis coordinated with existing state laws in preparation for the implementation of Proposition 64 next January.

The motion asks the CEO and County Departments to identify best practices and prepare any necessary changes to current ordinances to minimize impacts on public health, safety and quality of life and ensure a smooth transition from an illicit and unregulated market to a regulated market.

“We need to build an entirely new framework and we need to do it right,” said Supervisor Hahn. “That means taking into account the unique situations of all of our cities and unincorporated areas, prioritizing public health and safety, and balancing the interests of an emerging industry with the interests of our communities.”

“This is a pioneering time for California and for the County,” said Supervisor Kuehl. “We have an opportunity to take advantage of the recent experiences in Oregon, Washington and Colorado and outline a regulatory system that will ensure the well-being of County residents and contribute to the emerging national knowledge and structures for legalizing cannabis.”

The motion also calls for engaging key stakeholders (community, business, public health experts, advocates) to obtain feedback on regulations and best practices; to work with local cities to promote uniformity of regulations and best practices; to develop an ordinance and ballot measure to tax commercial cannabis to generate net-new revenues to cover costs incurred to regulate the industry; and to initiate a robust data collection pertaining to cannabis use.

For the text of the motion, click here.