Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
A crowd of close to 300 people jammed into Lagunitas School to discuss two proposed medical cannabis dispensary sites in West Marin.
Craftcanna, which kicked off the second of three public meetings Tuesday on proposed medical dispensaries in unincorporated Marin, hopes to open a dispensary next to the historic Marshall Tavern at 20105 Highway 1 in Marshall. But it was the second site, which Forest Knolls Wellness is proposing at 6700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., next to a school bus stop, that garnered the most attention.
The session was part of a series of meetings to discuss 10 applications for medical cannabis dispensaries in Marin. Last May, supervisors adopted an ordinance that would allow up to four medical cannabis dispensaries in unincorporated Marin. There are no legal medical marijuana dispensaries in the unincorporated county or in any of Marin's 11 municipalities.
Earlier that day, the Marin Board of Supervisors voted to ban, at least for now, all non-medical cannabis sales in unincorporated areas of the county.
Much discussion that evening centered on the participation of Kip Rowdy Baldwin, Forest Knolls Wellness' president and executive director, and the possible involvement in the project of a business associate of Baldwin's, Matt Shotwell.
In its application, Forest Knolls Wellness said Baldwin was co-creator of the reality TV series "Weed Country," which aired on the Discovery Channel, and the application listed "Breaking Bud," another prospective reality TV series, as another of Baldwin's projects.
Lane Ayre of Woodacre said that Shotwell, the other co-creator of "Weed Country," intends to buy the site where Forest Knolls Wellness would locate its dispensary and lease it to Forest Knolls Wellness.
"At the meet and greet in October, Matt Shotwell, who is conspicuously absent tonight and from the application, told a group of valley residents he will buy the property, lease it to the dispensary, and live in the little house behind the dispensary," Ayre said.
Ayre said Shotwell tweeted on Nov. 8: "I'm starting a new club in the County of Marin," and on his Facebook page Shotwell wrote, "I have partnered with the Forest Knolls Wellness group to open a world class dispensary ..."
Ayre said, "This application is a package deal that includes Matt."
OUTLET RAIDED
On Wednesday, however, Becky Lepori, who owns the building at 6700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., said that while Shotwell has expressed an interest in buying the property and she would like to sell it to him, no deal has been signed.
Shotwell, who could not be reached for comment, operated the Greenwell Cooperative in Vallejo until it was raided by the Vallejo Police Department in February 2012. Shotwell was arrested at the time and charged with several violations of state law involving the transportation and distribution of narcotics, but all charges were later dropped. "Weed Country" depicted the struggle between medical cannabis growers and law enforcement in Northern California.
Ayre said Tuesday night that the promotional website for "Breaking Bud" features a picture of Shotwell's Cannabus, a large gold bus with the word Cannabus written on it. Ayre said, "His caption under the photo reads: 'Because laying low isn't really Matt's style.' Well, it is the valley's style."
Ayre also distributed pictures of partially clad women that he said appeared in a video made to advertise a calendar for the Greenwell Cooperative.
Amos Klausner of San Geronimo, who helped Ayre research Shotwell's background, supplied an Instagram posting by Shotwell that reads: "My Virginia boys got them toys," accompanied by a photo of Shotwell posing with an assault rifle.
Baldwin, who attended Tuesday's meeting, made no comment and couldn't be reached by phone Wednesday, but Natalia Eve Thurston, an attorney representing Forest Knolls Wellness, said Shotwell is not a Forest Knolls Wellness partner.
MOTHERS CONCERNED
At Tuesday's meeting, numerous mothers of children who live in San Geronimo Valley expressed their opposition to locating a cannabis dispensary so close to a long-standing school bus stop. Thurston has said the site in question is not an official bus stop and is not used by a large number of children, but several speakers Tuesday contradicted her and said their children would no longer be safe walking and riding their bikes to school if the dispensary opens there.
Seniors and residents of affordable housing who live adjacent to the proposed site also expressed their opposition. They and others said the dispensary would bring increased security risks to the semi-rural community.
David Benard of San Geronimo read a long list of people and organizations that have stated their opposition to the Forest Knolls Wellness dispensary location that included Lagunitas School's board of trustees, the board of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center, West Marin Coalition for Healthy Kids and former Marin supervisor Steve Kinsey.
Fewer objections were raised to the Craftcanna application, which has been submitted by Navjot "Jyoti" Sroa, owner and general manager of Cafe Lotus in Fairfax, and Aaron Godbout, who, according to Craftcanna's application, is founder and owner of CNW, a limited liability corporation that cultivates medical cannabis in Colorado.
The application says that Godbout will take a leave of absence from CNW if Craftcanna is granted a license. Responding to questions Tuesday night, however, Godbout said he owned a medical cannabis dispensary in Colorado where cannabis was also grown and has since sold it.
MARSHALL TAVERN
Craftcanna plans to purchase the historic Marshall Tavern and use part of the building as its dispensary. While the tavern is being renovated, it would operate its dispensary out of a 864-square-foot modular building that would be placed on the south side of the tavern.
Avi Atid, one of the owners of the tavern, said Tuesday night that he has been trying to sell the building for five years and received no offers despite asking less than he paid for it.
"This may be the way to restore the tavern," Atid said.
In its business plan, Craftcanna states that it intends to buy the tavern for $525,000 and use revenue from the dispensary to restore it. But the plan also states, "The Marshall Tavern redevelopment project may take years to be finalized."
Several speakers Tuesday night questioned the feasibility of the restoration plan. Others said the location is remote and inaccessible for a medical cannabis dispensary. Several members of the public Tuesday said they felt both West Marin dispensaries are being considered only because they are in a sparsely populated area of the county with less political clout than more urban areas. One woman suggested that a dispensary be located instead at the Civic Center.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Hundreds Turn Out For West Marin Cannabis Hearing
Author: Richard Halstead
Contact: 415-883-8600
Photo Credit: Richard Halstead
Website: Marin Independent Journal
Craftcanna, which kicked off the second of three public meetings Tuesday on proposed medical dispensaries in unincorporated Marin, hopes to open a dispensary next to the historic Marshall Tavern at 20105 Highway 1 in Marshall. But it was the second site, which Forest Knolls Wellness is proposing at 6700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., next to a school bus stop, that garnered the most attention.
The session was part of a series of meetings to discuss 10 applications for medical cannabis dispensaries in Marin. Last May, supervisors adopted an ordinance that would allow up to four medical cannabis dispensaries in unincorporated Marin. There are no legal medical marijuana dispensaries in the unincorporated county or in any of Marin's 11 municipalities.
Earlier that day, the Marin Board of Supervisors voted to ban, at least for now, all non-medical cannabis sales in unincorporated areas of the county.
Much discussion that evening centered on the participation of Kip Rowdy Baldwin, Forest Knolls Wellness' president and executive director, and the possible involvement in the project of a business associate of Baldwin's, Matt Shotwell.
In its application, Forest Knolls Wellness said Baldwin was co-creator of the reality TV series "Weed Country," which aired on the Discovery Channel, and the application listed "Breaking Bud," another prospective reality TV series, as another of Baldwin's projects.
Lane Ayre of Woodacre said that Shotwell, the other co-creator of "Weed Country," intends to buy the site where Forest Knolls Wellness would locate its dispensary and lease it to Forest Knolls Wellness.
"At the meet and greet in October, Matt Shotwell, who is conspicuously absent tonight and from the application, told a group of valley residents he will buy the property, lease it to the dispensary, and live in the little house behind the dispensary," Ayre said.
Ayre said Shotwell tweeted on Nov. 8: "I'm starting a new club in the County of Marin," and on his Facebook page Shotwell wrote, "I have partnered with the Forest Knolls Wellness group to open a world class dispensary ..."
Ayre said, "This application is a package deal that includes Matt."
OUTLET RAIDED
On Wednesday, however, Becky Lepori, who owns the building at 6700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., said that while Shotwell has expressed an interest in buying the property and she would like to sell it to him, no deal has been signed.
Shotwell, who could not be reached for comment, operated the Greenwell Cooperative in Vallejo until it was raided by the Vallejo Police Department in February 2012. Shotwell was arrested at the time and charged with several violations of state law involving the transportation and distribution of narcotics, but all charges were later dropped. "Weed Country" depicted the struggle between medical cannabis growers and law enforcement in Northern California.
Ayre said Tuesday night that the promotional website for "Breaking Bud" features a picture of Shotwell's Cannabus, a large gold bus with the word Cannabus written on it. Ayre said, "His caption under the photo reads: 'Because laying low isn't really Matt's style.' Well, it is the valley's style."
Ayre also distributed pictures of partially clad women that he said appeared in a video made to advertise a calendar for the Greenwell Cooperative.
Amos Klausner of San Geronimo, who helped Ayre research Shotwell's background, supplied an Instagram posting by Shotwell that reads: "My Virginia boys got them toys," accompanied by a photo of Shotwell posing with an assault rifle.
Baldwin, who attended Tuesday's meeting, made no comment and couldn't be reached by phone Wednesday, but Natalia Eve Thurston, an attorney representing Forest Knolls Wellness, said Shotwell is not a Forest Knolls Wellness partner.
MOTHERS CONCERNED
At Tuesday's meeting, numerous mothers of children who live in San Geronimo Valley expressed their opposition to locating a cannabis dispensary so close to a long-standing school bus stop. Thurston has said the site in question is not an official bus stop and is not used by a large number of children, but several speakers Tuesday contradicted her and said their children would no longer be safe walking and riding their bikes to school if the dispensary opens there.
Seniors and residents of affordable housing who live adjacent to the proposed site also expressed their opposition. They and others said the dispensary would bring increased security risks to the semi-rural community.
David Benard of San Geronimo read a long list of people and organizations that have stated their opposition to the Forest Knolls Wellness dispensary location that included Lagunitas School's board of trustees, the board of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center, West Marin Coalition for Healthy Kids and former Marin supervisor Steve Kinsey.
Fewer objections were raised to the Craftcanna application, which has been submitted by Navjot "Jyoti" Sroa, owner and general manager of Cafe Lotus in Fairfax, and Aaron Godbout, who, according to Craftcanna's application, is founder and owner of CNW, a limited liability corporation that cultivates medical cannabis in Colorado.
The application says that Godbout will take a leave of absence from CNW if Craftcanna is granted a license. Responding to questions Tuesday night, however, Godbout said he owned a medical cannabis dispensary in Colorado where cannabis was also grown and has since sold it.
MARSHALL TAVERN
Craftcanna plans to purchase the historic Marshall Tavern and use part of the building as its dispensary. While the tavern is being renovated, it would operate its dispensary out of a 864-square-foot modular building that would be placed on the south side of the tavern.
Avi Atid, one of the owners of the tavern, said Tuesday night that he has been trying to sell the building for five years and received no offers despite asking less than he paid for it.
"This may be the way to restore the tavern," Atid said.
In its business plan, Craftcanna states that it intends to buy the tavern for $525,000 and use revenue from the dispensary to restore it. But the plan also states, "The Marshall Tavern redevelopment project may take years to be finalized."
Several speakers Tuesday night questioned the feasibility of the restoration plan. Others said the location is remote and inaccessible for a medical cannabis dispensary. Several members of the public Tuesday said they felt both West Marin dispensaries are being considered only because they are in a sparsely populated area of the county with less political clout than more urban areas. One woman suggested that a dispensary be located instead at the Civic Center.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Hundreds Turn Out For West Marin Cannabis Hearing
Author: Richard Halstead
Contact: 415-883-8600
Photo Credit: Richard Halstead
Website: Marin Independent Journal
