Page 11 - MIN.VOS

U.S. NEWS A5
Saturday 29 April 2017

California seeks control of unruly medical pot industry

In this photo Calfarms, a medical marijuana provider helps attendees at the High Times Canna- ketplace created over two Hezekiah Allen, president
bis Cup in San Bernardino, Calif. California is trying to get control of its unruly medical marijuana decades ago. of the California Grow-
industry. State regulators released draft regulations Friday, April 28, intended to impose order on The proposal would estab- ers Association, an indus-
the loosely organized marketplace created over two decades ago. The proposal would establish lish the first comprehensive try group, called the draft
the first comprehensive rules for growing, testing, transporting and selling medical pot in the state rules for growing, testing, rules “a major step toward
that is home to 1 in 8 Americans. transporting and selling a well-regulated cannabis
medical pot in the state industry.”
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel) that is home to 1 in 8 Ameri- However, he added in a
cans. statement that “there is still
Voters last year agreed to a lot of uncertainty” as the
legalize recreational mari- Legislature works to bal-
juana use for adults in 2018. ance the various proposals.
The state is faced with the Ariel Clark, an attorney
challenging task of trying who chairs the Los Ange-
to govern a vast, emerg- les Cannabis Task Force,
ing cannabis industry with said in an email that much
a projected value of $7 bil- works remains to be done.
lion. But “for the first time we
Similar rules are being cre- have a clear idea how the
ated for the recreational in- world’s largest cannabis
dustry. There are differenc- market will be regulated
es, and a bill in the Legisla- and licensed,” Clark said.
ture backed by Democrat- For medical marijuana us-
ic Gov. Jerry Brown seeks to ers in California, the pro-
square the recreational pot posed rules will have no im-
law with the rules for medi- mediate impact.q
cal marijuana.

MICHAEL R. BLOOD marijuana industry.
Associated Press State regulators released
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cali- draft regulations Friday in-
fornia is trying to get con- tended to impose order on
trol of its unruly medical the loosely organized mar-

Prosecutor: Charges likely in
deadly fall at Penn State frat

MARK SCOLFORO the fraternity, saying the
Associated Press school found “a persistent
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — pattern” of excess drinking,
The investigation into the drug use and hazing.
February death of a Penn The sophomore engineer-
State University fraternity ing student from Lebanon,
pledge who fell down stairs New Jersey, was attending
is likely to result in charges a pledge acceptance cer-
against several people for emony when he fell down
“conduct surrounding the a set of stairs, police say.
death of another person,” No one called for help until
a prosecutor says in a new the next day, and he later
court filing. died at a hospital.
Centre County District At- The filing Wednesday was
torney Stacy Parks Miller made as part of a legal dis-
said Friday the probe into pute between prosecutors
the Feb. 4 death of Beta and the fraternity chap-
Theta Pi pledge Timothy Pi- ter’s housing corporation,
azza is nearing its end. Po- which is seeking the return
lice have said hazing and of hard drives from secu-
excessive drinking may rity cameras that contain
have contributed to Piaz- footage from the fraternity
za’s death, and Penn State chapter house the night Pi-
has permanently banned azza died.q