cannabisnews.com: Fisherman's Wharf Bid Tests New Pot Club Laws 





Fisherman's Wharf Bid Tests New Pot Club Laws 
Posted by CN Staff on July 08, 2006 at 19:57:45 PT
By Erin Allday, Chronicle Staff Writer
Source: San Francisco Chronicle 
San Francisco -- At a busy intersection near Fisherman's Wharf, on a corner where the city's tourist hub bumps up against the quiet residential streets of Russian Hill, a recently stubbed marijuana joint lies in the gutter.It's just one joint among the cigarette butts and other litter on the street. But a new pot club attempting to open up nearby has local residents putting up stiff opposition, fearing it's only going to get worse -- a lot worse.
"It's tough, because people think we're objecting to marijuana usage as a whole, and we're very supportive of medicinal marijuana," said Ryan Chamberlain, a nearby resident and a member of San Francisco SOS, a civic group organized around quality-of-life issues. "Our problem is the way that medicinal marijuana clubs are being managed. They bring people that abuse the system." The Green Cross, proposed to open at 2701 Leavenworth St., is the first pot club in San Francisco to face the city's new permit process, which was approved by the Board of Supervisors last year in an attempt to better regulate the business of medical marijuana. Though it is still illegal on a national level, and federal agents have said they will go after growers, sellers and users -- and have done so -- medical marijuana has been legal under California law for 10 years. The aim of San Francisco's new permit regulations is to curb the abuses that pot clubs' neighbors have frequently cited: customers buying drugs they intend to use not for medical conditions but to resell on the street; illegal drug use in nearby parks and alleys; and increases in overall crime. Pot clubs have also drawn complaints of increased traffic and noise. The regulations would force pot club owners to take more responsibility for their customers and work with planners to develop security plans and customer guidelines, city planners said. Aside from the Green Cross, at least four additional pot clubs have submitted applications for permits in San Francisco. Currently, 30 to 40 pot clubs operate in the city -- no one knows exactly how many -- all of which must apply for permits no later than June next year. Kevin Reed, owner of the Green Cross, still has a way to go in the permitting process -- his first formal Planning Commission hearing is scheduled for Thursday -- and already he's up against serious opposition from neighborhood businesses and residents. At an informational meeting last month, 100 neighbors turned out, mostly to criticize Reed's attempt to open the club, and residents have organized e-mail lists and letter-writing campaigns to rally forces. Neighbors' primary concerns are over potential increases in traffic and crime, and fears that a pot club would draw illegal drug users to the area. They also point out that three schools are within walking distance, although all are far enough away that the club meets regulation requirements that pot clubs be at least 1,000 feet from schools. Additionally, neighbors -- primarily nearby business owners -- believe a pot club just doesn't fit into the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood or the residential areas beyond. Note: Medical Marijuana in San Francisco -- Businesses, residents organize against entrepreneur's proposal to open medicinal weed outlet in midst of city's top-drawing tourist attraction. Snipped:Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/rg392Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Erin Allday, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Sunday, July 9, 2006Copyright: 2006 Hearst Communications Inc.Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/Related Article: San Francisco Has a Problem With Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21961.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 08, 2006 at 21:57:46 PT
whig 
Too much! LOL!
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Comment #4 posted by whig on July 08, 2006 at 21:44:41 PT
FoM
You won't relate to this one, but it's funny to me anyhow. In a lot of mens' rooms the Swisher Company has provided little screens in the urinals that say, "Don't Do Drugs." In a perfect position to be the target of the stream.Sorry for the crudeness, but there it is.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on July 08, 2006 at 21:31:28 PT
Whig
Your drug free zone comment made me think of a sign I saw one day as we were driving thru a small town. They wrote on the sign, Drugs are Free Zone. I remember someone made pencils that said, Don't Do Drugs but they put it on the wrong way and kids sharpened their pencil down and got rid of Don't so the pencil said Do Drugs. If this wasn't so darn serious it would be funny.
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Comment #2 posted by whig on July 08, 2006 at 20:56:25 PT
Should I be concerned?
Where I live now (and for the next few days) there is a high school right next door, and another right around the corner. Within easy walking distance of either of them is a CVS, a Rite-Aid, an Eckerd and a few non-chain pharmacies. People have been seen to go into these establishments and purchase drugs, some of which are highly scheduled and very dangerous to expose children to.But fortunately, as I myself live in a Drug Free School Zone, it is a certainty that there are no drugs around here at all.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 08, 2006 at 20:07:48 PT
Very Interesting
I wonder where this will lead?
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