SACRAMENTO – State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (Santa Barbara) issued the following statement on her opposition to AB 97, the cannabis budget trailer bill, which was voted on June 24 in the State Senate:
“More than two years ago, California voters passed Proposition 64, legalizing marijuana. Recognizing that this represents the will of the people, I am personally not opposed to the legalization of marijuana. What I do have a problem with is a cannabis industry that, in the absence of adequate oversight and enforcement, is encroaching on our communities, schools, public spaces, vital agricultural industries, our tourism economy and our quality of life in Santa Barbara County. More than a third of all cultivation licenses issued in California to date are held in Santa Barbara County.
Many of us who work in state government feel the frustrations of the very limited authority granted to us under Proposition 64 to help residents experiencing the outsized burden of cannabis cultivation. However, one lever we do possess at the state level is through the granting of licenses to growers. I had hoped that this trailer bill language might be better refined to help us get at bad actors, ensure adequate environmental review, and provide greater safeguards. Unfortunately, those changes were not made, and for that reason, I am not able to support this legislation.”