Jerry Brown selects California’s first medical marijuana chief
By Alexei Koseff akoseff@sacbee.com California has found its czar for medical marijuana. On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown announced the appointment of Lori Ajax, currently the chief deputy director of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, to the newly-created post overseeing the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation in the Department of Consumer Affairs. The bureau was created through legislation last year, nearly two decades after California voters legalized medical marijuana, to develop comprehensive rules for the industry, from licensing pot growers to crafting environmental protections. Ajax, 50 of Fair Oaks, has worked in various positions at the ABC since 1995. After studying criminal justice at Sacramento State and working in private industry for 10 years, Ajax began her career at the agency as an investigator in the Santa Rosa district office and later managed licensing and enforcement operations for 20 counties in Northern California. She is a Republican. The position, which commands a $150,636 salary, requires state Senate confirmation. There is irony in Brown’s appointment. Medical marijuana advocates last year successfully pushed for the new bureau rather than placing regulatory authority in the hands of the ABC, which enforces liquor laws and oversees the licensing process. But on Thursday, pot advocates shied away from criticizing the appointment of a top ABC official to oversee pot rules. “Our members want to see a functioning bureau as soon as possible,” Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association, said in a statement. “We are encouraged by Lori’s experience with state bureaucracy and familiarity with rural counties.” Alexei Koseff: 916-321-5236, @akoseff. Christopher Cadelago of The Bee Capitol Bureau contributed to this report.
1 Comment
Angie
2/11/2016 10:58:02 am
Penny Hartsell : There are no pain killing medications/drugs less toxic than Cannabis/Hemp, not even Aspirin or Tylenol. If deaths from the toxic effects from over the counter pharmaceuticals such as Ibuprofen and Aleve were tabulated separately in the National Vital Statistics reports, these drug toxicities would constitute the 15th most common cause of death in the United States. Yet they are commonly peddled to "our young children", this is why Cannabis/Hemp as medicine can be an excellent natural alternative choice as a substitute for the more toxic drugs/pain killers. More are becoming attuned to the wide variety of health benefits of Cannabis/Hemp as an inexpensive natural pain reliever that doesn’t have death as a side-effect, and many are recognizing the amazing benefits of the non-toxic Cannaibis/Hemp plant for pain and inflammation. Substitution of less harmful medicines for more harmful drugs is intelligent alternative choice, as it has never caused a single death ever. Cannabis/Hemp does not have to be smoked to be effective, and medical Cannabis/Hemp users don’t have to get ‘high’ to experience pain relief, like most pharmaceutical users do. Over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (aka Advil, Tylenol, etc.) kill more Americans than most people are aware of, so why aren’t we so much more collectively awake now that we have the proven facts? Our desire for prosperity and good health, and the frustration we should feel with the establishment and federal government for fraudulently criminalizing Cannabis/Hemp and keeping secret this vital information is ludicrous. The suppression of Cannabis/Hemp represents the greatest failure of the institutions of a free society, medicine, journalism, science, and our fundamental values. Millions of people have needlessly suffered, even died of horrible deaths and in many cases, families exhausted their entire savings on dangerous, toxic, expensive and ineffective (drugs). Now that we are just beginning to realize that while Cannabis/Hemp has never killed anyone, Cannabis prohibition has killed millions. Somehow the establishment, world leaders and governments have known this crucial information for decades, yet continue to remain silent on the facts. Sadly, we as parents allow the absurdity to continue, despite the insanely cruel consequences to "our children", future generations and the environment - our only home. #MotherHemp www.MichICan.us
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AuthorSusan Soares has written for Cannabis Now Magazine, Alternet, and Sensi Magazine. Archives
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