Assembly committee passes bill to regulate marijuana cultivation

A bill that would create environmental guidelines for marijuana cultivation in California made a key step forward this week.

Assembly Bill 243, authored by Healdsburg Democrat Jim Wood, advanced from the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday and is scheduled to be heard on the Assembly floor next week.

The Marijuana Watershed Protection Act requires that all of the state’s nine water quality control boards develop environmental regulations to address wastewater discharge from medical marijuana farms.

The appropriations committee reviews any bill that would cost the state more than $150,000. An analysis provided to the committee estimated it would cost more than $6 million for water quality boards and Fish and Wildlife departments to implement AB 243 and expand enforcement efforts.

The bill would establish a program to track medical marijuana cultivation and create a permit process to monitor and regulate wastewater discharge, water conservation measures and site operation plans. The program would generate some funding through permit fees.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.