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Scotts Valley Moves to Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
I received the following e-mail from Chris Coulter announcing an attack on medical marijuana patients by the Scotts Valley City Council coming up this Wednesday March 16th at 6:30 PM.
With the ban on any more dispensaries in Santa Cruz and similar moratoriums or bans in other cities, as well as the uncertain status of marijuana dispensaries in the County with new (admittedly and thankfully more liberal) ordinances in the offing, it's important to fight this latest Reefer Madness spin-off.
With the ban on any more dispensaries in Santa Cruz and similar moratoriums or bans in other cities, as well as the uncertain status of marijuana dispensaries in the County with new (admittedly and thankfully more liberal) ordinances in the offing, it's important to fight this latest Reefer Madness spin-off.
To: chris.drj [at] gmail.com
Subject: Scotts Valley to vote on ordinance to ban Medicinal Cannabis dispensaries AND DELIVERY
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:12:41 -0700
Greetings Santa Cruz ASA [Americans for Safe Access] members,
My name is Chris Coulter and I am the Government Relations Chair for Silicon Valley ASA. I wanted to let everyone know that on Wednesday, March 16th @ 6:30pm, the Scotts Valley City Council will vote on its ordinance to ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries (MMD’s).
Here is a link to the city website where you can review the city’s documents - http://www.scottsvalley.org/council/agendas_minutes.html
I met a few of you at the January SC ASA and no doubt have seen some of you at either a Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors or Planning Commissioners meeting when they have discussed their MMD ordinance. I am trying to become more involved in Santa Cruz County and originally planned on giving everyone a heads-up that this was coming up fast at the last SC ASA meeting. Unfortunately, I don’t think the February meeting was very well publicized as I was one of just 2 people who showed up @ Medicann. I look forward to seeing any and all of you at the next chapter meeting later this month.
Beyond the fact that the council members are banning dispensaries within city limits, the ordinance as written goes even further by banning the delivery of medicinal cannabis in the city. This is contrary to the previous statements made by all members of the council and Police Chief Weiss that one reason a dispensary ban was OK was because Scotts Valley citizens could still have their medicine delivered to them. I hope we can get people to show up and express our outrage to this ordinance and at the very least continue to allow delivery of medicine.
If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Chris Coulter
The Healing Clinic Cooperative
Cell: 408-813-9986
Subject: Scotts Valley to vote on ordinance to ban Medicinal Cannabis dispensaries AND DELIVERY
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:12:41 -0700
Greetings Santa Cruz ASA [Americans for Safe Access] members,
My name is Chris Coulter and I am the Government Relations Chair for Silicon Valley ASA. I wanted to let everyone know that on Wednesday, March 16th @ 6:30pm, the Scotts Valley City Council will vote on its ordinance to ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries (MMD’s).
Here is a link to the city website where you can review the city’s documents - http://www.scottsvalley.org/council/agendas_minutes.html
I met a few of you at the January SC ASA and no doubt have seen some of you at either a Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors or Planning Commissioners meeting when they have discussed their MMD ordinance. I am trying to become more involved in Santa Cruz County and originally planned on giving everyone a heads-up that this was coming up fast at the last SC ASA meeting. Unfortunately, I don’t think the February meeting was very well publicized as I was one of just 2 people who showed up @ Medicann. I look forward to seeing any and all of you at the next chapter meeting later this month.
Beyond the fact that the council members are banning dispensaries within city limits, the ordinance as written goes even further by banning the delivery of medicinal cannabis in the city. This is contrary to the previous statements made by all members of the council and Police Chief Weiss that one reason a dispensary ban was OK was because Scotts Valley citizens could still have their medicine delivered to them. I hope we can get people to show up and express our outrage to this ordinance and at the very least continue to allow delivery of medicine.
If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Chris Coulter
The Healing Clinic Cooperative
Cell: 408-813-9986
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http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_17632714
Scotts Valley bans medical pot dispensaries, but will allow deliveries to residents and businesses
By KIMBERLY WHITE
Posted: 03/17/2011 01:30:03 AM PDT
SCOTTS VALLEY -- Medical marijuana patients can have cannabis delivered to their homes or businesses, but city leaders agreed at Wednesday's meeting that brick-and-mortar establishments should be banned in the city.
The ordinance council members debated at the meeting would have banned not only cooperatives, but also deliveries to patients who live within the city limits.
Council members reiterated their previous statements that dispensaries "fly in the face of federal law," that residents don't want the establishments, and the potential for increased crime and abuse by children. Patients can either grow their own marijuana, they said, or obtain it at other dispensaries.
However, Councilwoman Stephany Aguilar said that while she agreed with the ban, patients should be allowed to receive cannabis at their homes or businesses, likening deliveries of the drug to the meal-delivery service Meals on Wheels provides to home-bound seniors.
The ordinance likely will go into effect in early May, according to city attorney Kirsten Powell. Violators will be charged under the city's public nuisance ordinance.
The debate began more than a year ago, when Scotts Valley resident Scott Gates first broached the idea of opening a dispensary with then-Mayor Jim Reed. Wednesday's meeting was the fourth time the issue had appeared before the council, including Gates' appeal last month of a decision to deny his application for a business license.
Ahead of the unanimous vote, several people addressed the council, with most opposing the ban. Among them were Gates, who restated comments he made at other council meetings about the need for a local dispensary for those unable to travel elsewhere, the high level of security he would provide, and how he planned to donate to area health-related nonprofits.
He and Chris Coulter of Americans for Safe Access, a group that advocates for medical cannabis, also criticized Councilwoman Donna Lind for sending out an e-mail ahead of the public hearing soliciting comments from residents, with wording they said clearly showed a bias.
But other council members came to her defense, saying she merely stated facts from the previous meetings.
Information staff reviewed ahead of Wednesday's meeting included a 2009 report from the California Police Chiefs Association, which detailed how cooperatives operate around the state and their effects on the communities where they operate. According to that report, law enforcement officials from Mendocino to San Diego counties have reported armed robberies at both the dispensaries and patients' homes, questionable practices by physicians, and health risks from fertilizers and mold accumulation in grow houses.
Gates and his supporters dismissed the safety concerns, saying that far more robberies and criminal activities occur at liquor stores and convenience stores than dispensaries.
One resident pointed out that other controlled substances are sold in drug stores, with specific instructions for how much and when they should take the medication. But since there aren't any dosage recommendations for medical marijuana, patients can go overboard when deciding how much they need. That risk would be alleviated if the medical marijuana had the same regulations as other controlled substances.
"Having it in drug stores makes sense if it were legal," Scotts Valley Mayor Dene Bustichi said. "I would be all for that, but federal law does not allow that, so that's the issue here."
In other business, council members also voted to transfer six parcels of land totaling nearly $14 million from the Redevelopment Agency to the city. All but one of those parcels is in the area where the long-planned Town Center is slated to be built, Powell said after the meeting. The transfer is meant to pre-empt an expected move by Sacramento to dismantle the state's redevelopment agencies and take their assets.
Scotts Valley bans medical pot dispensaries, but will allow deliveries to residents and businesses
By KIMBERLY WHITE
Posted: 03/17/2011 01:30:03 AM PDT
SCOTTS VALLEY -- Medical marijuana patients can have cannabis delivered to their homes or businesses, but city leaders agreed at Wednesday's meeting that brick-and-mortar establishments should be banned in the city.
The ordinance council members debated at the meeting would have banned not only cooperatives, but also deliveries to patients who live within the city limits.
Council members reiterated their previous statements that dispensaries "fly in the face of federal law," that residents don't want the establishments, and the potential for increased crime and abuse by children. Patients can either grow their own marijuana, they said, or obtain it at other dispensaries.
However, Councilwoman Stephany Aguilar said that while she agreed with the ban, patients should be allowed to receive cannabis at their homes or businesses, likening deliveries of the drug to the meal-delivery service Meals on Wheels provides to home-bound seniors.
The ordinance likely will go into effect in early May, according to city attorney Kirsten Powell. Violators will be charged under the city's public nuisance ordinance.
The debate began more than a year ago, when Scotts Valley resident Scott Gates first broached the idea of opening a dispensary with then-Mayor Jim Reed. Wednesday's meeting was the fourth time the issue had appeared before the council, including Gates' appeal last month of a decision to deny his application for a business license.
Ahead of the unanimous vote, several people addressed the council, with most opposing the ban. Among them were Gates, who restated comments he made at other council meetings about the need for a local dispensary for those unable to travel elsewhere, the high level of security he would provide, and how he planned to donate to area health-related nonprofits.
He and Chris Coulter of Americans for Safe Access, a group that advocates for medical cannabis, also criticized Councilwoman Donna Lind for sending out an e-mail ahead of the public hearing soliciting comments from residents, with wording they said clearly showed a bias.
But other council members came to her defense, saying she merely stated facts from the previous meetings.
Information staff reviewed ahead of Wednesday's meeting included a 2009 report from the California Police Chiefs Association, which detailed how cooperatives operate around the state and their effects on the communities where they operate. According to that report, law enforcement officials from Mendocino to San Diego counties have reported armed robberies at both the dispensaries and patients' homes, questionable practices by physicians, and health risks from fertilizers and mold accumulation in grow houses.
Gates and his supporters dismissed the safety concerns, saying that far more robberies and criminal activities occur at liquor stores and convenience stores than dispensaries.
One resident pointed out that other controlled substances are sold in drug stores, with specific instructions for how much and when they should take the medication. But since there aren't any dosage recommendations for medical marijuana, patients can go overboard when deciding how much they need. That risk would be alleviated if the medical marijuana had the same regulations as other controlled substances.
"Having it in drug stores makes sense if it were legal," Scotts Valley Mayor Dene Bustichi said. "I would be all for that, but federal law does not allow that, so that's the issue here."
In other business, council members also voted to transfer six parcels of land totaling nearly $14 million from the Redevelopment Agency to the city. All but one of those parcels is in the area where the long-planned Town Center is slated to be built, Powell said after the meeting. The transfer is meant to pre-empt an expected move by Sacramento to dismantle the state's redevelopment agencies and take their assets.
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