Against Prop. 64

It’s been said Proposition 64 spells doom for the smallbusiness operators who have grown California’s cannabis industry, and that’s true. To understand how, one need only look at the cannabis supply chain. In 2015, California passed the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, or MCRSA.

Designed to bring the 20year- old cannabis industry into compliance with standard regulatory agencies, MCRSA also sets specific restrictions on vertical integration; that is, one entity engaging in all primary links of the supply chain: production, distribution, retail. In doing so, MCRSA establishes a level playing field for the locally owned and operated businesses that shaped California into the world- renowned market that’s becoming so attractive to a diverse array of outsiders.

Prop. 64, if passed, would immediately eliminate all of MCRSA’s restrictions on vertical integration. This level of freedom doesn’t exist for industries like tobacco or alcohol, and it shouldn’t exist for cannabis.

Jamie Garzot Kerr, Shasta Lake