Dispensaries

— At the order of newly elected Mayor Bob Filner, the city is dropping all legal efforts aimed at forcing marijuana dispensaries out of business.

 

In memos last week to the San Diego Police Department and code compliance officers, Filner ordered that "targeted code enforcement" against marijuana dispensaries end "immediately." Both departments report to the mayor.

 

Filner, a Democrat, also plans to revisit an issue the City Council has shown little eagerness to tackle: the creation of zoning rules to permit marijuana businesses.

 

Filner restated his support for making marijuana accessible to people "who legitimately need it for relief of pain." He said he will soon propose an ordinance allowing operation of dispensaries, although not near schools, playgrounds or anywhere that would harm neighborhoods.

 

"I believe that, in order to be a great city, we must also be a humane city and show compassion toward those who need help in dealing with chronic pain," he said.

 

Under current city zoning regulations, there are no legal areas for marijuana dispensaries. The City Council adopted a marijuana zoning ordinance but dropped it in July 2011 when marijuana activists complained that it was too restrictive.

 

As a result of Filner's action, the city will no longer pursue a dozen cases against dispensaries, said City Atty. Jan Goldsmith. More than 100 dispensaries have already been forced to close because of code-violation litigation by the city attorney.

 

Filner appeared Tuesday before a group favoring legalization of marijuana, and referred to Goldsmith's actions as "persecution." He suggested that the group may need to stage protests.

 

Goldsmith subsequently sent the mayor a letter saying he would halt the remaining cases, which had been filed at the request of the code compliance staff and Police Department.

 

"Rather than pursue the drama last night and call for a demonstration, you could have achieved your goal in less than 30 seconds" with a phone call, Goldsmith wrote.

 

Source: http://www.latimes.com

In March, Rocky Mountain Miracles owner Ali Hillery was hit with felony charges over alleged discrepancies in the Colorado Springs dispensary's plant count. She was cleared of these charges last month, and her attorney, Sean McAllister, issued a motion calling for material seized by authorities to be returned by Monday. It was not -- so now, he's laying the groundwork for a lawsuit against the city, with damage demands expected to exceed $3 million.

McAllister offers a quick summary of the case.

 

Hillery "was raided on March 19 and 20. She had about 1,300 plants, and police said she had about fifty pounds of marijuana -- but when they raided her, they said she was only allowed 700 plants and about eighteen pounds of marijuana. So they took away 600 plants and 35 pounds of marijuana. They just cut down the plants, and they grabbed the marijuana whether it was cured, dried and harvested or wet and curing."

 

This last action was only one of many problematic parts of the seizure, in McAllister's view. "The local police clearly didn't know the rule that only finished marijuana counts as inventory. At the trial, the state's own expert came in and said it was in the process of curing -- it had fan leaves on it and was on the stalk. And that was one of the big reasons why we got an acquittal -- in part because they didn't know the rules about how to weight the marijuana, and in part because the jury found there was no way for the dispensary owner to know how many patients she had."

 

Indeed, McAllister has regularly raised questions about the vague process for record keeping at medical marijuana dispensaries. "The health department won't tell them how many patients they have, so there was no way for her to comply with the law -- because how do you comply if you don't know how many patients you have?"

 

In the end, Hillery was acquitted on all counts, prompting McAllister to ask that the city return the plants and product, in order to determine if any of it is still unable -- something he considers to be extremely unlikely. And that's only the beginning.

 

"The first step is to assess my client's damages," he says. "When they ceased all of the plants and marijuana, they basically turned her business upside down. She had to go out and buy wholesale marijuana, and make less than half the profit she would have otherwise, which caused real damages in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. And we estimate in our complaint" -- read it below in its entirety -- "that the plants and product they took was valued at $3.3 million."

 

This figure is based on "the DEA's own numbers," McAllister continues. "They say every plant produces a pound, and a pound is worth $5,000."

 

Read more: http://blogs.westword.com

We're getting a look at the second medical marijuana dispensary to open up in Tucson.

 

The Green Halo Caregiver Collective opened on the city's south side.

 

The building is highly secured and after patients use their state-issued identification to get inside, they can pick their medicine.

 

"We're talking a whole range of things..pretty much candies, a Tootsie pop thing they can suck on, brownies, different baked goods..chocolate things that are very tasty, but also a great way to deliver the medicine," said Green Halo manager Ken Sobel.

 

Green Halo has about 40 patients and employs 25 people.

 

Green Halo Caregiver Collective

3359 N. Freeway

Tucson, AZ

 

Source: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com

A townhouse on North Capitol Street in Northwest Washington, with unobstructed views of the U.S. Capitol from the sidewalk, was recently painted bright blue.

 

The fresh paint stands out in a changing block of Truxton Circle, home to both a Dollar Plus Food Store as well as a high-rise project with a planned hotel and condominiums.

 

But by spring, the townhouse at 1334 N. Capitol St. will make a bolder statement by becoming a symbol for the District’s leap into the growth and sale of medical marijuana.

 

“You can look out and see the dome of the Capitol,” said David A. Guard, the general manager of the Capital City Care dispensary, as he gave a Washington Post reporter a tour of the 2,000-square-foot office. “We want to set a precedent and want the country to see what medical marijuana can and should be.”

 

As early as February, some District residents will be able to enter the townhouse by showing proper identification to a security officer. They will be escorted to a brightly lighted office with brick walls and bamboo flooring.

 

The patients will have their prescriptions for marijuana — an illegal substance under federal law — verified by a receptionist. Then patients can consult an iPad in the office’s waiting area to review six strains of high-quality cannabis.

 

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com

Military veterans put their lives on the line for this country, and what do we give them? A couple hollow holidays? A discount? The occasional salute?

 

West Hollywood medical marijuana dispensary Zen Healing has us all beat on that front:

 

The pot shop announced this week that it's giving vets a true "gift of appreciation:"

 

Free weed!

 

That's right, in an announcement this week Zen Healing says it's giving up "a free quarter of high-quality medicine every harvest," which is every three months, to "veteran patients that provide proof of military service."

 

That free quarter every quarter comes with a nice glass jar, too.

 

At your service, sir.

 

The dispensary notes that there has been research investigating the effects of marijuana on PTSD patients.

 

Zen Healing says it's not all about weed, either. It says it sponsors a free barbecue meal for the homeless at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Hollywood on Saturdays.

 

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Officials from the city of New Baltimore finally decided on a medical marijuana ordinance that will allow dispensaries to exist in the industrial area.

 

This decision came during the Dec. 10 meeting and Councilman Jeff Christie was the only member of the council to cast a dissenting vote.

 

In the ordinance, which was drafted by the Planning Commission, it states dispensaries must be located within the industrial district and cannot be within 1,000 feet of any secondary or primary school. Currently, the Anchor Bay School District has their alternative education high school, Compass Pointe, located in the industrial district.

 

According to the ordinance, cultivation is only permitted in the dispensary and sale of the substance between a registered caregiver and patient must not take place within the center.

 

"In other words, there will be no sales there," Councilman Karl Rutledge, who was instrumental in drafting the approved ordinance, said. "They cannot use and they cannot pick up at these locations."

 

Christie, who has advocated for the growth of medical marijuana in residential areas as well, didn't have much to say about the ordinance this time around other than that he felt statements on crime were based on opinion, not fact.

 

"It's still better than nothing," Councilman Ken Butler said.

 

Read more: http://www.voicenews.com