Oakland City Report: Cannabis Dispensaries Generating Jobs, Revenue

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Oakland City Report: Cannabis Dispensaries Generating Jobs, Revenue
Release by California NORML 2/16/07

Oakland's cannabis dispensaries are not a problem for police and
have been generating significant employment and revenue, according to
a report to the city administrator by administrative hearing officer
Barbara Killey.
The report will be presented to the City Council Public Safety
Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 27th (City Hall Hearing Room 1, 7:30-9PM).:
The report gainsays the notion that dispensaries are a public
nuisance and source of problems, as has been alleged by critics from
law enforcement in cities without dispensaries. Pursuant to a
2003 licensing ordinance, Oakland cut back to just two dispensaries.
Patient advocates say that the cutback led to a decline in services
and supply of medicine. The report details the process by which the
city licensed two more dispensaries last summer, bringing the total
up to four. It notes that patient advocate support opening the
dispensaries to on-site vaporization.
Full report text at:
<http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/15637.pdf>

EXCERPTS from the report:
"Economic: Oakland's four (4) permitted cannabis dispensaries
employ a total of ninety-nine (99) people. An increase in the number
of permitted dispensaries would increase employment. People from
other cities, who may not otherwise come to Oakland, visit the
dispensaries. The economic impact of the dispensaries on the sales of
nearby businesses is unknown. According to the Business Tax
Certification office, the dispensaries reported, and paid tax on
gross receipts of $5,461,824.14 for the 2005 calendar year. Although
data on individual businesses is not available to staff, this amount
was presumably reported by only the two dispensaries that operated
the entire year. The previous year, when four dispensaries were in
operation, gross receipts reported were $16,422,722.05. Four
dispensaries are again in operation, and it is likely that, by 2007,
there will be a substantial increase in taxes paid to the City."

"Social Equity: Oakland's permitted dispensaries continue to
function without excessive drain on police resources. Three of the
four dispensaries provide additional social services to their
patients and the surrounding community."

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Dale Gieringer / California NORML (415) 563-5858 // canorml [at] igc.org
2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114