Oakland has been leading the charge of those seeking new ways to develop the industry for budgetary benefits hit a speed bump when the city attorney announced suddenly that he will no longer advise on the issue of large-scale legalization.
His surprise announcement came without explanation, but the federal government’s promise to go over the commercialized marijuana industry and its supporters could have factored into his decision.
From the San Francisco Examiner:
Oakland City Attorney John Russo has decided he would no longer advise the city council about its plans to license large-scale marijuana farms.
Russo announced the decision – the latest blow to the city’s plans to license and tax the farms – in a letter to Mayor Jean Quan and each council member dated Thursday. His office had been working on amendments to the city’s proposed pot cultivation ordinance that were scheduled to be discussed over the next few weeks.
He did not say specifically what prompted the move, but cited state professional conduct rules and the council’s efforts this week to redraft the pot-farm ordinance to address state and federal law enforcement officials’ concerns about its legality.
Read the full article here.