cannabisnews.com: California Cracking Down on Pot Shops

cannabisnews.com: California Cracking Down on Pot Shops
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California Cracking Down on Pot Shops
Posted by CN Staff on August 01, 2009 at 05:38:44 PT
By Daniel B. Wood
Source: ABC News
California -- Sitting on a sofa in the gymnasium-sized Quonset hut of the New Liberty Bell Temple, Daniel Reynolds puts his lips to a plastic cone and breathes in marijuana vapor.The vapor contains the active substance in cannabis that Mr. Reynolds, a cancer patient, says "eases his pain." The vast room also hosts a pool table, ping-pong table, video-game monitor, and a stage for live music.
In the back, a cubicle displays Mason jars filled with green, leafy clumps. Customers pay between $25 and $55 per one-eighth of an ounce for different strains of marijuana, marked "Humboldt Gold," "Black Africa," "Banana OG," and "NY Diesel."Los Angeles's pot economy is booming. The number of medical-marijuana dispensaries here has skyrocketed from 183 in 2007 to about 800 now. In this period, pot shops have morphed from what Reynolds calls "hidden, remote places with no signs or addresses" into listed and public outlets. Many sport 10-foot signboards in the shape of a marijuana leaf.But as dispensaries have sprouted across this and other California cities, they face pushback from local residents unhappy with their new neighbors and officials concerned about inadequate oversight of a novel business. Sacramento and Santa Cruz are considering moratoriums on new dispensaries as they review regulation. In L.A., complaints about robberies and drug abuse at the clinics prompted the city council to shut down several hundred dispensaries over the past few months.Many of them had opened in spite of a moratorium on new dispensaries because of a legal loophole that allowed them to operate pending an application for exemption. On June 16, the city council enacted a measure to eliminate this exemption. "This is about the health and safety of those who need marijuana dispensaries to treat conditions including HIV, glaucoma, and cancer," said Councilman Ed Reyes, who sponsored the measure. "This is also about the health and safety of our communities to protect them from nuisance operations."Medical marijuana was legalized in California with a 1996 state ballot initiative that made marijuana available by prescription to relieve pain or nausea.Federal law prohibits the use and sale of marijuana even for medical purposes, and that seems unlikely to change soon. Nationwide, about 775,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession in 2007. However, the Obama administration ended raids in states that have legalized medical marijuana -- one reason for the recent growth in dispensaries in California.In 2007, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) expressed concern about the rising number of medical pot sellers and called for a moratorium pending new regulation. The absence of specific zoning rules, officials pointed out, had resulted in a dozen dispensaries opening within 1,000 feet of schools. One dispensary had slipped fliers on the windshields of cars parked outside a high school, the LAPD said.The dispensaries are "targets for people who want to come in and rob," says Lt. Paul Torrence of the LAPD's Gang and Narcotics Division, "because they know there is lots of cash around and security is limited because they like to keep a low profile."On their part, dispensaries including the Rastafarian New Liberty Bell Temple counter that they are unnecessarily harassed on trumped-up complaints.Some neighbors have also questioned whether some of the young and apparently healthy people they see walking into the dispensaries or lighting up outside them are really ill. Lieutenant Torrence echoes this concern. "[T]his is a way for people to grow medical marijuana and make serious money," he says.Still, polls show American public attitudes toward marijuana have changed over time. In 1979, just 27 percent of Americans favored legalization of marijuana, according to a CBS/New York Times poll. In a July 13, 2009, CBS poll, that figure had gone up to 41 percent."Five years ago, my mom would have been openly hostile to my smoking marijuana," says Reynolds, the customer at New Liberty Bell Temple and a registered process server. But at a recent lunch, she asked him if he had considered getting a marijuana prescription to help with his cancer.Despite "the huge public support, politicians are worried about their political liability amongst both colleagues and voters," says Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws. He notes that 13 states have medical marijuana laws exempting patients from arrest and criminal prosecution, but only three -- Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont -- enacted the laws through the legislature.More states will legalize medical marijuana, say many observers. Nudging the issue forward are budget-crunched states such as California, which could take in as much as $1.2 billion annually from taxing marijuana sales. An April Field Poll showed that 56 percent of California residents favor taxing and regulating marijuana.Oakland became the first city in the nation to tax marijuana last week when voters voted "yes" to such a tax."The culture is changing, and it's not considered the evil weed once portrayed in movies like 'Reefer Madness,' " says Robert Pugsley, a specialist in marijuana legislation at Southwestern School of Law in L.A. "The state will want to tax it and regulate it as a product like cigarettes and get revenue out of it. Maybe even cities would add their own surcharges," he adds.Source: ABC News (US Web)Author: Daniel B. WoodPublished: August 1, 2009Copyright: 2009 ABC News Internet VenturesWebsite: http://www.abcnews.go.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/HQLuyxrgCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #17 posted by afterburner on August 04, 2009 at 01:38:35 PT
'apparently healthy'
"Some neighbors have also questioned whether some of the young and apparently healthy people they see walking into the dispensaries or lighting up outside them are really ill."Could the patrons of Toronto's subway *see* the difference between other patrons and one mentally ill person before that person pushed another person off the platform into the path of an on-coming subway train?Can people see the mental anguish in the faces of some of today's youth before they binge drink?Can you diagnose someone with a cancerous tumor merely by looking at him/her?Are we now a nation of mind readers?Seeing is not always believing. Pain and illness are often hidden personal internal processes.
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Comment #16 posted by ekim on August 03, 2009 at 20:04:38 PT
Snoop stop in Nev and pick up this billboard plez
http://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/node/6911#commentsHello Fellow Activists,My billboard was taken down just 3 days ago because it was "too controversial" for Nevada. It was the world's largest printed marijuana leaf. I'm currently looking for someone to hang it up for me!Please show your support and vote it up or feel free to leave a comment:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqdz3l2EVCo
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Comment #15 posted by Had Enough on August 03, 2009 at 16:16:43 PT
Follow up for Snoop Dog concert
Followup thread for Snoop Dog Orlando concert at Hard RockPosted Aug 3, 2009 5:23 PM by Paul TurickRuss at NORML was contacted by the tour people who said they needed to cancel the booth scheduled for the show last Saturday in Orlando. It seemed the venue is the Hard Rock, and “because they are a Universal owned company they are much more conservative than your typical venue.”This Universal, of course, is NBC Universal, the parent company to the MSNBC and CNBC networks that reported their highest ratings ever for their marijuana-themed news reports on the burgeoning cannabis business in California. The same NBC Universal that is happy to sell you Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie, Dazed & Confused, and Half Baked on DVD. The same NBC Universal that has no problem allowing Snoop Dogg to get the crowd at the Hard Rock in Orlando to chant “Legalize It”, but somehow can’t let a couple of college kids in NORML T-shirts hand out educational fliers about why we should legalize it.I hope that some of you were able to get petitions signed despite this lack of compassion from NBC Universal.http://www.meetup.com/People-United-For-Medical-Marijuana-Orlando/messages/boards/thread/7391352************http://www.pufmm.org/http://www.meetup.com/People-United-For-Medical-Marijuana-Orlando/http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127343055695
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on August 02, 2009 at 12:23:59 PT
Scientists Find Cannabis Trigger
Pot Shot: Scientists Find Cannabis Trigger for ForgetfulnessAugust 2, 2009URL: http://www.physorg.com/news168440808.html
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Comment #13 posted by Had Enough on August 02, 2009 at 10:19:09 PT
Florida...Lets Roll !!!
St Augustine Snoop Dog Concert this Sunday! Last call for volunteersPosted Jul 31, 2009 12:07 PMAlright, the Tampa and Orlando Snoop concerts are covered. What about his concert in St Augustine on Sunday?Now, how about JAX NORML? I know they will be there. We need to be there too.Contact JAX NORMLP.O. Box 550944Jacksonville, FL 32255-0944 MapVoice (678) 697-4845
ford jax-norml.org
www.jax-norml.orghttp://www.meetup.com/People-United-For-Medical-Marijuana-Orlando/messages/boards/thread/7373170************http://www.pufmm.org/http://www.meetup.com/People-United-For-Medical-Marijuana-Orlando/http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127343055695
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on August 02, 2009 at 04:47:48 PT
Pot Clinics See Spike in Patients Under 30
August 2, 2009URL: http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090802/NEWS01/908020306
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on August 02, 2009 at 00:24:57 PT
"Why is it that way?"
Greed? Boys and girls, with toys? Busybodies? Authoritarianism? Runaway, unreasonable power in government and lust for more of it? Hatred?It makes me shudder to think of it.
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Comment #10 posted by rchandar on August 01, 2009 at 18:36:07 PT:
Obama
Have you all been following CNN, Slate, etc etc lately? Obama's declining approval?Of course, it affects us. We have a window of time that's useful, but I'm more concerned about the man we elected. Now that most of us have forgotten the emotional hoopla that swept the country, and traditional Capitol Hill politics have restated themselves, and health care is looking less likely, I'd like to say something which may or may not be on your mind:Mr. President, if you are going to succeed as our chief executive, much of what you will do will not be the stuff of your campaign. Doing excellent research and promoting new concepts and left-center ideology is not going to get it. It is understandable that this shadow has come. Every president leaves the adulation of winning the office and must make gutsy decisions that will bear fruit. Health care is merely one part of it. You will have to put your foot down, demand change instead of marketing it to us unemployed citizens who are grumbling every day. Many of us feel that we may not work again. Many more of us resent the pork-barrel politics of the previous administrations. It is we who want to be a part of this new situation; you will have to put your foot down and demand this change. This is not done by symbolic gestures or the most popular issue topics, but by effecting your authority and mission in office. You have been doing that, yet you will have to force your hand against a growing conservative rhetoric that is gaining support. Tell us, what was it that made us lose faith in those people, in the first place? Why are they having success when the mess we got into was their fault? Where are you on OUR issue, which would be an exciting part of a new health care system? Your predecessor was by comparison a horrible president. Perhaps time is allowing us to forget the worth of the mandate that WE GAVE YOU.Sincerely,rchandar
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Comment #9 posted by gloovins on August 01, 2009 at 17:08:11 PT
Logic FoM??
The government seems to have less daily.I just want to take a minute here and congradulate us all here for bringing cannabis legalization to the msm forefront. I think the powers that be (prohibitionists) are finding it harder and harder daily to defend their position. Their "I'm right about this issue, marijuana is bad, We are protecting children,..." blah blah is turning on them. How many lives are you protecting keeping industrial hemp illegal? How many kids are you protecting & saving when you deny a sick person their medicine when they are dying or trying to get better? (Does anyone medicate to feel worse?) Do you still as a government want me to turn in my neighbor to the police if I may happen to see they are growing this plant? I wonder what will happen when these prohibitionists of cannabis are defeated and Americans can grow hemp FREELY and they see that bio diesel choice at the pump or extra delicious food at the mkt do you think they will scoff at it or accept it? I think they will finally break down and say yes...the prohibition of cannabis/hemp is one of, if not THE, most idiotic law ever to be passed in the history of the USA.Is there any logic in cannabis prohibition?I'm just curious....I can't think of any myself...I'm having a great summer -- hope you are all too....= )
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Comment #8 posted by greenmed on August 01, 2009 at 17:01:38 PT
medicine and support
Sitting on a sofa in the gymnasium-sized Quonset hut of the New Liberty Bell Temple, Daniel Reynolds puts his lips to a plastic cone and breathes in marijuana vapor.The vapor contains the active substance in cannabis that Mr. Reynolds, a cancer patient, says "eases his pain." The vast room also hosts a pool table, ping-pong table, video-game monitor, and a stage for live music.This type of dispensary that offers comradeship among its clients/members and an enjoyable place to get out of the house and mingle is therapeutic in itself for patients who are not able to get out much. For some, a brief over-the-counter type of experience may be preferable, but a club-type atmosphere with entertainment, events to attend and fellow patients to socialize with is a wonderful alternative - a 'support group' in the best sense. There's always room for alternatives, and that's a good thing.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on August 01, 2009 at 12:22:31 PT
Hope
Why is it that way? My logic is when they leave people alone it makes everyone happy. If planes fly around some people call the police and complain and tell them to stop it. People don't appreciate livestock being spooked.
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on August 01, 2009 at 11:47:16 PT
Comment 1
"Ah, the pleasures of living in a country where people are arrested for having grass longer than 6 inches on their lawn."And some places in my state for overdue library books. That would be arrest and all that is a part of arrest. Officer or officers, a warrant or warrants, cuffs, the perp walk, the ride, the cages, the record... the whole shebang.For an overdue library book or fine.
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Comment #5 posted by lombar on August 01, 2009 at 11:25:57 PT
is this true?
"The dispensaries are "targets for people who want to come in and rob," says Lt. Paul Torrence of the LAPD's Gang and Narcotics Division, "because they know there is lots of cash around and security is limited because they like to keep a low profile.""OR is it a help wanted ad for armed robbers?
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Comment #4 posted by Had Enough on August 01, 2009 at 09:42:21 PT
Sunset for a Seminole by Scott Dart
Florida State Senator Jim King humbly declared that when people look at him they saw a Jackie Gleason type figure. Whereas, when he looked in the mirror he saw Sean Connery. Senator King lost his fight to pancreatic cancer this week, and Florida is now sharing in heaven a caring, humorous, public servant of the people. His remains will be interred at his beloved Florida State University this week. I admired Sen. King as he fought for the right of people to be free of government infringement in their lives. He also was to the first to point out when he made a mistake, and worked hard to correct the errors he made. Especially as a legislator, when doing so made those in his party uncomfortable and counter to their political maneuvering. Sen. King fought these mighty battles on behalf of the people of Florida because they were the right thing to do and he did not shy away from a fight. Vaya con Dios, hombre.My conundrum is to find legislator’s like Sen. King. Will you help me? People United for Medical Marijuana gaining traction in Florida fast; in the past month comprehensive volunteer training, signature drives, fund raising and lobbying activities have taken place in Orlando, Naples, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville and many other cities. With support growing like summer weeds in the garden, Patients, caregivers, and volunteers are going to be urging support of a Florida Compassionate Care Act modeled in compliance with the proposed federal legislation (H..R.’s 5842 and 5843). I contacted my U. S. Representative for District 24, Suzanne Kosmas and she basically did not answer my question, which was, would she co-sponsor the two bills which the chairman of her Finance Committee wrote? Our legislators seem to be getting harder and harder to talk to these days, in some cases running away to avoid sharing their position with the people. You and I can not let this continue, join me in urging our politicians to listen and act on behalf of the sick and dying in Florida!Paid political advertisementhttp://www.pufmm.org/view_page.php?category_id=35&page_id=101************http://www.pufmm.org/http://www.meetup.com/People-United-For-Medical-Marijuana-Orlando/http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127343055695
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Comment #3 posted by museman on August 01, 2009 at 09:06:07 PT
"pay no attention to the
man behind the curtain...""Don't do as I do, do as I say.""Notice the intricate weave of the Emperors Clothes.""My country, right or wrong."Put people in their place. Don't let the mongrel races get a foothold. "Divine right of Kings.""Only the leaders should be allowed to lie." (Platos Republic)The Amerikan government (and its institutions); Liars, thieves, hipocrits, power junkies, wealth addicts, environmental poisoners, contracted earth assassins, posers, pretenders, antichrists, and Nephalim. All in all as an unsavory collection of characters as there ever was.wake up america!FREE CANNABIS FOR ALL
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Comment #2 posted by Had Enough on August 01, 2009 at 08:59:09 PT
Florida - PUFMM
Green Day Concert Signature DriveA friendly little competition has started between Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. We can not have too many volunteers for this event. Green day will be in all three cities in August. The city that collects the most signatures during that event will get bragging rights!!! Wear your PUFMM shirt and bring fliers - both of which you can get on our website www.pufmm.org. Check the message board for more ideas and details. We encourage members to be there before and after the concert. If you can only make one time slot, let us know which one.This Meetup was suggested by Brian.Please get involved. We need another 80,000 signatures before September if we are going to get this on the 2010 ballot. Let the games begin. Thanks so much!Kim Russell Founder People United for Medical Marijuanahttp://www.meetup.com/People-United-For-Medical-Marijuana-Orlando/calendar/10864215/************http://www.pufmm.org/http://www.meetup.com/People-United-For-Medical-Marijuana-Orlando/http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127343055695
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on August 01, 2009 at 08:43:51 PT
complaints
what about all those healthy young women going into Walgreens?? They don't look sick to me! Walgreens is making MILLIONS of dollars!What about the robberies for OxyContin at Walgreens! What about VIOLENT liquor store robberies, what about homeless guys around liquor stores, we should shut all pharmacies and liquor stores immediately!Ah, the pleasures of living in a country where people are arrested for having grass longer than 6 inches on their lawn.
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