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Biography
Jessica McElfresh of McElfresh Law, Inc. is an attorney in San Diego, California, specializing in cannabis law and policy. Ms. McElfresh has focused on cannabis law and policy for her entire career and has represented numerous qualified patients, collectives, cultivators, delivery services, landlords, and storefront dispensaries. Among her recent accomplishments are successfully shepherding several clients through the City of San Diego's dispensary application process.
Ms. McElfresh has served on a mayoral working group to regulate access to medical cannabis, and she has co-authored several local ballot initiatives. She is regularly consulted by the media, including KPBS (San Diego's local PBS television and radio station), The San Diego Union-Tribune, NBC-San Diego, and The Los Angeles Times. Ms. McElfresh has taught continuing legal education classes for attorneys about medical cannabis law. She is an expert on California's cannabis laws and regulations.
Ms. McElfresh graduated summa cum laude from Scripps College, majoring in Spanish Literature, and received her juris doctor cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law. She is a member of the bar of the State of California, the Supreme Court of the United States, the Ninth Circuit, the Eastern District of California, and the Southern District of California. Ms. McElfresh is fluent in Spanish and has conducted Know-Your-Rights trainings in that language as well as English.
Experience
Attorney-at-Law
McElfresh Law, Inc.
September 2011 - present
Education
Scripps College
Bachelor's Degree
2001 - 2005
University of San Diego School of Law
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
2006 - 2009
Other
Languages
Spanish
Volunteer
Advisory Board Member
A New PATH (Civil Rights and Social Action)
January 2016 - present
Organization dedicated to more sensible approaches to addiction, including ending the drug war.
The state is not going to issue only temporary licenses for 2018. The state is beginning with temporary licensing to allow some established, locally permitted businesses to receive temporary state licenses as 2018 begins. The state plans to draft final regulations, allow for a full public comment period, and craft a permanent licensing process during 2018.
As for why the state is not beginning with permanent licensing applications, the state has had to accomplish a great deal since the passage of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act in fall of 2015. To begin, the state had to set up the bureaus and divisions at the state level to regulate cannabis. Then, Proposition 64 passed in November 2016, which added to the regulatory work that the state had to complete for 2018. The Legislature only finished combining Prop 64 and MCRSA into a single law in June of this year. All of this has affected the state's timeline for developing permanent regulations and a permanent licensing process.
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