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(3) Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of <br /> physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Existing law requires the <br /> board to prioritize investigations and prosecutions of physicians and surgeons <br /> representing the greatest threat of harm, as specified. Existing law identifies the cases <br /> that are to be given priority, which include cases of repeated acts of excessively <br /> prescribing, furnishing, or administering controlled substances without a good faith prior <br /> examination of the patient. Existing law sets forth the conduct that would constitute <br /> unprofessional conduct for a physician and surgeon, including, but not limited to, <br /> prescribing certain drugs without an appropriate examination or medical <br /> indication. Existing law provides that a violation of the Medical Practice Act is a crime. <br /> This bill would require the board to consult with the Center for Medicinal Cannabis <br /> Research on developing and adopting medical guidelines for the appropriate <br /> administration and use of marijuana. <br /> The bill would also make it a misdemeanor for a physician and surgeon who recommends <br /> marijuana to a patient for a medical purpose to accept, solicit, or offer any remuneration <br /> from or to a licensed dispensing facility in which the physician and surgeon or his or her <br /> immediate family has a financial interest. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose <br /> a state-mandated local program. <br /> This bill would specify that recommending marijuana to patients without an appropriate <br /> prior examination and a medical indication is unprofessional conduct. The bill would <br /> provide that specified acts of recommending marijuana for medical purposes without a <br /> good faith examination are among the types of cases that should be given priority for <br /> investigation and prosecution by the board, as described above. The bill would further <br /> prohibit a physician and surgeon from recommending medical marijuana to a patient <br /> unless that person is the patient's attending physician, as defined. Because a violation of <br /> that provision would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. <br /> (4) Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a city or county to impose various taxes, <br /> including a transactions and use tax at a rate of 0.25%, or a multiple thereof, if approved <br /> by the required vote of the legislative body and the required vote of qualified voters, and <br /> limits the combined rate of transactions and use taxes within a city or county to 2%. <br /> This bill would authorize the board of supervisors of a county to impose a tax on the <br /> privilege of cultivating, dispensing, producing, processing, preparing, storing, providing, <br /> donating, selling, or distributing marijuana or products containing marijuana. The bill <br /> would authorize the tax to be imposed for either general or specific governmental <br /> purposes. The bill would require a tax imposed pursuant to this authority to be subject to <br /> any applicable voter approval requirement. <br /> (5) Existing law exempts qualified patients, persons with valid identification cards, and the <br /> designated primary caregivers of qualified patients and persons with identification cards <br /> from certain crimes, including possession of concentrated cannabis and marijuana, <br /> cultivation of marijuana, and possession of marijuana for sale. <br /> Page 4 of 10 <br />