Amended in Senate September 4, 2015

Amended in Senate September 1, 2015

Amended in Senate August 17, 2015

Amended in Senate July 2, 2015

Amended in Assembly June 1, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 22, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 8, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 243

Introduced by Assembly Member Wood

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Rendon and Williams)

February 5, 2015

An act begin insert to amend Section 2220.05 of the Business and Professions Code, end insert relating to medical marijuana, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 243, as amended, Wood. Medical begin insert Board of California: medical end insert marijuana.

Existing law, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, an initiative measure enacted by the approval of Proposition 215 at the November 5, 1996, statewide general election, authorizes the use and cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes. begin delete Existing law makes it a crime to plant, cultivate, harvest, dry, or process marijuana, except as otherwise authorized by law. Under existing law, qualified patients, persons with valid identification cards, and the designated primary caregivers of qualified patients and persons with identification cards, who associate in order collectively and cooperatively to cultivate marijuana for medical purposes, are not subject to criminal sanctions solely on the basis of that fact. end delete begin insert Existing law requires the Medical Board of California to prioritize its investigative and prosecutorial resources to ensure that the most harmful physicians and surgeons are identified and disciplined expeditiously, and provides a list of allegations that shall be prioritized. end insert

begin insert

This bill would add repeatedly recommending excessive cannabis to patients for medical purposes, and repeatedly recommending cannabis to patients without a good faith examination and a medical reason, to the list of prioritized allegations.

end insert

This bill begin delete , contingent on the enactment of AB 266 and SB 643, would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a dedicated funding source to address environmental damages resulting from illegal cannabis cultivation. end delete begin insert would become operative only if AB 266 and SB 643 of the 2015-16 Regular Session is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2016. end insert

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 2220.05 of the end insert begin insert Business and Professions
Code end insert begin insert is amended to read: end insert

2220.05.  

(a) In order to ensure that its resources are maximized
for the protection of the public, the Medical Board of California
shall prioritize its investigative and prosecutorial resources to
ensure that physicians and surgeons representing the greatest threat
of harm are identified and disciplined expeditiously. Cases
involving any of the following allegations shall be handled on a
priority basis, as follows, with the highest priority being given to
cases in the first paragraph:

(1) Gross negligence, incompetence, or repeated negligent acts
that involve death or serious bodily injury to one or more patients,
such that the physician and surgeon represents a danger to the
public.

(2) Drug or alcohol abuse by a physician and surgeon involving
death or serious bodily injury to a patient.

(3) Repeated acts of clearly excessive prescribing, furnishing,
or administering of controlled substances, or repeated acts of
prescribing, dispensing, or furnishing of controlled substances
without a good faith prior examination of the patient and medical
reason therefor. However, in no event shall a physician and surgeon
prescribing, furnishing, or administering controlled substances for
intractable pain consistent with lawful prescribing, including, but
not limited to, Sections 725, 2241.5, and 2241.6 of this code and
Sections 11159.2 and 124961 of the Health and Safety Code, be
prosecuted for excessive prescribing and prompt review of the
applicability of these provisions shall be made in any complaint
that may implicate these provisions.

begin insert

(4) Repeated acts of clearly excessive recommending of cannabis
to patients for medical purposes, or repeated acts of recommending
cannabis to patients for medical purposes without a good faith
prior examination of the patient and a medical reason for the
recommendation.

end insert begin delete

(4)

end delete

begin insert (5) end insert  Sexual misconduct with one or more patients during a course
of treatment or an examination.

begin delete

(5)

end delete

begin insert (6) end insert  Practicing medicine while under the influence of drugs or
alcohol.

(b) The board may by regulation prioritize cases involving an
allegation of conduct that is not described in subdivision (a). Those
cases prioritized by regulation shall not be assigned a priority equal
to or higher than the priorities established in subdivision (a).

(c) The Medical Board of California shall indicate in its annual
report mandated by Section 2312 the number of temporary
restraining orders, interim suspension orders, and disciplinary
actions that are taken in each priority category specified in
subdivisions (a) and (b).

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would establish a dedicated funding source to
address environmental damages resulting from illegal cannabis
cultivation.

end delete

SEC. 2.  

This measure shall become operative only if both
Assembly Bill 266 and Senate Bill 643 of the 2015-16 Regular
Session are enacted and become operative.

SEC. 3.  

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within
the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into
immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to address the damage done by illegal marijuana
cultivation at the earliest time possible, it is necessary that this act
take effect immediately.