Medical Marijuana dispensaries spark debate
October 18, 2009
OCTOBER 8 — It was apparent from the start of City Council Public Safety Subcommittee agenda item five where allegiances lay.
On Monday, Council member Mike Menesini opened the discussion by expressing his dismay that medical marijuana dispensaries in Martinez was placed on the agenda as “Marijuana Dispensary ban proposal.” He indicated that since the Council had created a municipal code ordinance in 2000 circumscribing the rules for such operations, it was unlikely that a total policy reversal would be considered now.
“It behooves us as leaders to find a way to intimate the will of our constituents,” Menesini said after an hour long spirited and thoughtful debate, reminding those in attendance that 64 percent of local voters approved decriminalizing medical cannabis 13 years ago.
The Chief of the Martinez Police Department, Tom Simonetti, requested the subcommittee - and Council - consider a ban on dispensaries due to what he believes will be a negative impact on his department, and walked Menesini and Lara Delaney through a PowerPoint presentation highlighting his concerns, which were sparked in earnest over the past few months after being approached by seven different parties indicating interest in bringing the business to town, he said.
Simonetti said many of his figures, numbers and information were culled from a white paper written by the California Police Chiefs Association’s Task Force on Marijuana Dispensaries.
Sixty percent of medical marijuana patients are between the ages of 21-40, said Simonetti, and if patients in Martinez need medical marijuana, there are plenty of delivery services already available. He said that where dispensaries have opened in San Francisco and Los Angeles, crime rates have increased. Simonetti also pointed to the recently passed second-hand smoke ordinance, saying the dispensaries would be sending a mixed message to residents.
DeLaney stopped Simonetti at one point to ask for a copy of his presentation due to the multitude of figures and percentages, and he responded in the affirmative. When the Gazette made the same request in order to fact check his claims, Simonetti said he had decided not to distribute a copy of his presentation.
Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney, Dana Filkowski, who spoke about specific legal issues surrounding dispensaries, accompanied Simonetti. She said that neither Proposition 215, passed by California voters in 1996 legalizing marijuana for certain medical uses, nor the Medical Marijuana Program Act (SB 420), effective in 2004, made provisions for or even mentioned dispensaries. Menesini later objected to her describing Prop. 215 as having been “marketed to voters,” and that “drug dealers come in under the guise of dispensaries.”
“The term marketed makes it seem like the voters were fooled or deceived,” said Menesini, unequivocally stating his support for Prop. 215, SB 420 and ensuring vendors of medical marijuana are not criminalized. “No one is talking about sanctioning drug dealers. I think we need to keep the hyperbole down a bit.”
“I really appreciate this,” said Delaney at the end. “It has been a great [discussion] on how to handle the interest in the community for these services.”
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Re: Medical Marijuana dispensaries spark debate
I have a hard time believing that any sensible person out there doesn’t agree that the current policies regarding marijuana prohibition have failed miserably.
The typical stereotype of a “pot-smokers” is not reality. The reality is that many, many cannabis users are intelligent, productive, taxpaying, law abiding citizens. Many are professionals, executives and entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, the stereotypical “pot-smoker” is more vocal and thus noticed by the public/media. The rest of us are still hiding our dark little secret, afraid to come out of the “closet” for fear of what our conservative friends/coworkers might think of them. Sad.
The prohibition of cannabis is really ridiculous. It’s a non-toxic herb, people!
The sale of cannabis should not be controlled in a pharmacy because unlike most pharmaceuticals (and alcohol) people don’t die from using it.
We need to allow dispensaries to exist because the bottom line is, if it’s sold on the store self, it won’t be sold on the street corners. The drug peddler on the street corner isn’t going to ask for I.D. or pay taxes!! And to make matters worse, we’re paying billions of dollars every year to enforce, prosecute and incarcerate illicit marijuana sales.
It’s not hard to pull together statistics to support a belief that marijuana sales contribute to overall crime. Under today’s model, marijuana sales will continue to attract other forms of crime. (do we have to remind ourselves of the Al Capone era and Alcohol prohibition??)
Cannabis has been used by human beings for therapeutic uses for thousands of years. Cannabis has been found to alleviate many problematic health related symptoms. I have personally found that it provides me much relief from symptoms that many people I know with similar symptoms use anti-depressants, sleeping pills and other prescription narcotics.
Please join me in pleading with our City, County, State and Federal officials to apply some common sense to this matter and end Cannabis prohibition.
Re: Medical Marijuana dispensaries spark debate
This truly is a shame that marijuana still carries a stigma in certain circles. I had never used marijuana and was shocked when I heard my doctor suggest using it to supplement my current medication as there are pretty severe side effects that included severe tremors, muscle spasms and regular migraine headaches. After a great deal of research and soul searching, as I have children, I reluctantly decided to give it a try.
Before I go any further I would like to say that I am in my mid 30s, a veteran, and hold a senior engineering position at a global company here in the bay area. I pay my bills, have a 740+ credit score and have been gainfully employed since 1990 when I graduated from high school. After my time in the service, I put myself through college, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. In no way do I resemble the stereotypical marijuana user. I now realize that marijuana users come in all shapes and sizes.
Once I decided to try cannabis, I was determined to do this legally. I obtained my medical cannabis prescription, obtained a Medical Marijuana card and made my first visit to a dispensary. Upon finding the place, I informed the security guard that this was my first time and showed him my credentials. He walked me inside and introduced me to the receptionist. She called my doctor to verify my prescription and then started telling me how the dispensary works, the products they have available and the do’s and don’ts of their facility. When she was finished another employee came out, shook my hand and we had a sit down chat for about 10 minutes where I told her that I had no ideal what to do, what to look for or even how to use cannabis. Very patiently, she listened and when I was finished she showed me everything I needed to know about how to ingest the drug. I purchased one gram of cannabis and a pipe to smoke it with, all in all it cost me $25 total. Driving home (sober) I was still blown away with how professional this place was and how friendly the staff was.
After we got the kids in bed, I went into my garage and ingested the first “drug” besides alcohol and tobacco when I was in my early twenties. I came back in and sat down with my wife in the living room and started feeling the effects immediately. I will not desribe the feeling other than, wonderful, but I began to notice my headache started to not seem like a very big deal, I still felt it but the pain was more like small pressure and for the first time in 5 years I was able to have a conversation with my wife without shaking.
It has been 6 months since first tried cannabis and my life has been transformed for the better. Before I was taking 7 prescriptions for my condition and now am down to one that I continue to supplement with cannabis. I no longer “smoke” it but use a vaporizer which is a very safe way to ingest. I have come to realize that the horror stories we heard from our youth are largely complete fabrications. I do not support the use of cannabis for people under the age of 21 however I stongly support the medical marijuana / safe access movement. I am very lucky to be able to visit dispensaries in Oakland but many are not as mobile. I fully support allowing a fully staffed cannabis dispensary in Martinez.
There are a number of resources online to research medical marijuana at your leisure but please keep in mind that there have been only a few government funded studies on cannabis and each one not only suggested that the dangers of marijuana use are minimal at best and each study has also suggested that marijuana be decriminalized and/or legalized. I would suggest watching a few DEA sponsored films on the dangers of cannabis, then watch a few Pro-Marijuana films, I suggest “Grass” narrated by the actor Woody Harrelson. Keep in mind that both sides have their own agenda but I am confident that after watching both kinds of films that the pro-marijuana variety are more reasonable and have more actual “facts” than the anti-cannabis films.
I fully agree with Harvest Moon that our city/state/nation stops this total failure of a war on marijuana and welcome a regulated and taxed industry with open arms.
Re: Medical Marijuana dispensaries spark debate
Well written Harvest Moon and cup0joe. My life has been transformed by cannabis as well. I began eating a small amount everyday and it has cured a so called incurable problem. I suffered from IBS for 20+ years. I haven’t had a single problem for the 5 months I’ve been eating cannabis. IBS was destroying my life. It ruined family days at the zoo and hikes in Yosemite. It forced me to leave work early or call in sick many times. The embarrassment associated with IBS deeply affected me. I no longer live in pain or shame.
I’m not a “pot-head” do nothing. I have a doctorate, own a business and pay my taxes.
I fully support a dispensary in Martinez.
Re: Medical Marijuana dispensaries spark debate
I believe what a person does in their home is their business.
We are having problems with neighbors who believe it’s ok to leave there house and smoke pot in the driveway. They are smoking so much that it fills the air of the front and back yards and children are playing outside and being affected. Also so much smoke is filling the air that if our windows are open the smoke is coming in thru the windows and into our home. This sort of behavior doesn’t help citizens, who do not smoke, keep an open mind to other issues concerning people who smoke it.
Re: Medical Marijuana dispensaries spark debate
I’m sorry to hear of the issues you’ve experienced concernedmom. Any behavior like what you are describing is a shame, I wouldn’t want to walk out to see my neighbors smoking cannabis, drinking beer, or smoking a cigarette in any way that would upset the neighborhood. It sounds like your neighbors are either being inconsiderate or are just unaware of the impact of their actions. You should definitely ask them to curb their behavior and discuss your concerns with them.
I can’t imagine actual smoke filling your house, as I’ve never seen anything like that. I mean i have smelled someone a few houses over smoking a cigarette or cannabis, or grilled chicken for that matter, but I have never seen actual smoke come into my house. I can assure you that if it is just a smell, your children are completely safe, they would be no more impacted by the smell of cannabis than they would be full from smelling a neighbor’s Bar-B-Que or meatloaf.
I wish you well and if your neighbors are just inconsiderate, then it doesn’t mean anything if cannabis is legal for medical or recreational use, it just means you live next to people who are unconcerned for the feelings of others.