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Another medical marijuana salesman has moved from the city to the country in hopes of finding a marijuana-friendly community.
In August, two new medical marijuana businesses set up shop in Calaveras County: Calaveras Medical Collective opened its doors Aug. 16 and former Oakley resident Alex Gomez opened the doors of his car to start Land of Lakes Collective, Aug. 31.
Gomez, who lives in Jackson, started a medical marijuana delivery business to provide for patients in San Andreas, Valley Springs, Mokelumne Hill, Mountain Ranch and Angels Camp. The delivery service is only temporary. He plans to open up a storefront soon.
"(Opening a storefront) is something that can (happen) by the end of the year," Gomez said. "I'm thinking maybe mid-November and maybe even sooner. It depends on how long the paperwork takes to go through."
If his storefront is established, it would mark the fifth brick and mortar dispensary in Calaveras County. According to Calaveras County Planning Department records, only one have records of only one medical marijuana dispensary operating within county code guidelines.
Gomez, like the other medical marijuana business that opened this month, has another marijuana-dispensing business in the city. He began the business in Contra Costa County, but after strict marijuana laws were passed and medical marijuana dispensaries were eventually banned, Gomez looked to open another business in a more marijuana-friendly community.
"I heard from a guy (in Calaveras) that they call this place 'mini-Humboldt,'" he said. "At some point, it is just a comfort thing when you know there are people out there doing the same thing as you. I feel like it was a little bit stricter in the Bay Area. They are touchier about how you do the paperwork."
There are several big differences between the city and country life that attracted Gomez to Calaveras.
"In the bay, you can make the wrong turn and be in the wrong neighborhood and get robbed and here everyone is laid back and in a good mood most of the time."
Aside from the relaxed, or unenforced, laws regarding medical marijuana in Calaveras, Gomez said he also believes there is a need for a delivery service in the area. He reached this conclusion after a longtime friend told him many patients were unable to get access to the alternative medicine.
Gomez's business provides marijuana buds and hashish to patients and works with another company called Britt's Medibles to provide a wide variety of edible marijuana-infused foods, including drinks, lollipops, cookies, brownies, sodas and cheesecake.
Another difference between the Bay Area and Calaveras noted by Gomez was the marijuana code — a code in Calaveras that he said was "a little general."
The code that speaks to medical marijuana may be on the brink of an update by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. But when this update occurs depends upon Calaveras County Counsel, supervisors said.
County Counsel is in the process of reviewing the issue and will then provide the board with options of how to update the existing medical marijuana laws. County Counsel did not respond to requests for comment on this issue, and no timeline for when the issue will be discussed was provided to the Enterprise.
District 3 Supervisor Merita Callaway said reviewing medical marijuana law may not be County Counsel's top priority.
"I generally expect staff to set their own priorities," she said.
District 5 Supervisor Darren Spellman agreed with Callaway.
"County Counsel is given the leeway to use their professional opinion to spend their time on whatever they think is the most important issue at that particular moment," he said, adding if the board wanted any issue to become the top priority, all the board has to do is ask.
District 1 Supervisor Cliff Edson said County Counsel staff members feel medical marijuana policy reform is an important issue. Edson said they are taking time to ensure they have the most up-to-date information before making a recommendation.
"County Counsel is right on this because we have all contacted them," Edson said. "They feel like it is one of the priorities they need to deal with, but we don't want to get something that's going to work for two months and then we're going to change it in another two months. That's not fair to the people who live here and anyone who wants to operate a business out of the county."
Supervisors Chris Wright and Debbie Ponte were unavailable to comment as of press time.
While the policy reform is up in the air, more folks who want to operate a business in the county are making Calaveras a destination for setting up shop and selling marijuana.
Though Gomez claimed to have received a business license with the county, Calaveras County Planner 4 Andrew Mogensen said his staff didn't find a business license under his name or Land of Lakes.
One of the key items required to establish a legal marijuana dispensing business in Calaveras is an administrative use permit that sets out rules for dispensaries and requires a go-ahead from various county departments, including building, planning and the Sheriff's Office.
Gomez was under the impression that the permit was unnecessary for a medical marijuana delivery service, but said he plans on pursing one that will let his store be "100 percent compliant."
"We are trying to take those steps (to become compliant) so there is no backlash," he said. "We don't want to put something together and have it taken away, because it's the patients who suffer in the end."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: calaverasenterprise.com
Author: Lucas Youngblood
Contact: Calaveras Enterprise: Contact
Website: New medical marijuana dispensary to open - Calaveras Enterprise: News
In August, two new medical marijuana businesses set up shop in Calaveras County: Calaveras Medical Collective opened its doors Aug. 16 and former Oakley resident Alex Gomez opened the doors of his car to start Land of Lakes Collective, Aug. 31.
Gomez, who lives in Jackson, started a medical marijuana delivery business to provide for patients in San Andreas, Valley Springs, Mokelumne Hill, Mountain Ranch and Angels Camp. The delivery service is only temporary. He plans to open up a storefront soon.
"(Opening a storefront) is something that can (happen) by the end of the year," Gomez said. "I'm thinking maybe mid-November and maybe even sooner. It depends on how long the paperwork takes to go through."
If his storefront is established, it would mark the fifth brick and mortar dispensary in Calaveras County. According to Calaveras County Planning Department records, only one have records of only one medical marijuana dispensary operating within county code guidelines.
Gomez, like the other medical marijuana business that opened this month, has another marijuana-dispensing business in the city. He began the business in Contra Costa County, but after strict marijuana laws were passed and medical marijuana dispensaries were eventually banned, Gomez looked to open another business in a more marijuana-friendly community.
"I heard from a guy (in Calaveras) that they call this place 'mini-Humboldt,'" he said. "At some point, it is just a comfort thing when you know there are people out there doing the same thing as you. I feel like it was a little bit stricter in the Bay Area. They are touchier about how you do the paperwork."
There are several big differences between the city and country life that attracted Gomez to Calaveras.
"In the bay, you can make the wrong turn and be in the wrong neighborhood and get robbed and here everyone is laid back and in a good mood most of the time."
Aside from the relaxed, or unenforced, laws regarding medical marijuana in Calaveras, Gomez said he also believes there is a need for a delivery service in the area. He reached this conclusion after a longtime friend told him many patients were unable to get access to the alternative medicine.
Gomez's business provides marijuana buds and hashish to patients and works with another company called Britt's Medibles to provide a wide variety of edible marijuana-infused foods, including drinks, lollipops, cookies, brownies, sodas and cheesecake.
Another difference between the Bay Area and Calaveras noted by Gomez was the marijuana code — a code in Calaveras that he said was "a little general."
The code that speaks to medical marijuana may be on the brink of an update by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. But when this update occurs depends upon Calaveras County Counsel, supervisors said.
County Counsel is in the process of reviewing the issue and will then provide the board with options of how to update the existing medical marijuana laws. County Counsel did not respond to requests for comment on this issue, and no timeline for when the issue will be discussed was provided to the Enterprise.
District 3 Supervisor Merita Callaway said reviewing medical marijuana law may not be County Counsel's top priority.
"I generally expect staff to set their own priorities," she said.
District 5 Supervisor Darren Spellman agreed with Callaway.
"County Counsel is given the leeway to use their professional opinion to spend their time on whatever they think is the most important issue at that particular moment," he said, adding if the board wanted any issue to become the top priority, all the board has to do is ask.
District 1 Supervisor Cliff Edson said County Counsel staff members feel medical marijuana policy reform is an important issue. Edson said they are taking time to ensure they have the most up-to-date information before making a recommendation.
"County Counsel is right on this because we have all contacted them," Edson said. "They feel like it is one of the priorities they need to deal with, but we don't want to get something that's going to work for two months and then we're going to change it in another two months. That's not fair to the people who live here and anyone who wants to operate a business out of the county."
Supervisors Chris Wright and Debbie Ponte were unavailable to comment as of press time.
While the policy reform is up in the air, more folks who want to operate a business in the county are making Calaveras a destination for setting up shop and selling marijuana.
Though Gomez claimed to have received a business license with the county, Calaveras County Planner 4 Andrew Mogensen said his staff didn't find a business license under his name or Land of Lakes.
One of the key items required to establish a legal marijuana dispensing business in Calaveras is an administrative use permit that sets out rules for dispensaries and requires a go-ahead from various county departments, including building, planning and the Sheriff's Office.
Gomez was under the impression that the permit was unnecessary for a medical marijuana delivery service, but said he plans on pursing one that will let his store be "100 percent compliant."
"We are trying to take those steps (to become compliant) so there is no backlash," he said. "We don't want to put something together and have it taken away, because it's the patients who suffer in the end."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: calaverasenterprise.com
Author: Lucas Youngblood
Contact: Calaveras Enterprise: Contact
Website: New medical marijuana dispensary to open - Calaveras Enterprise: News
