Berkeley - Free Pot For The Poor Plan

[The General]

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Berkeley, California could soon be required to give away some of their stash – to the poor. The city council approved the ordinance Tuesday. "Basically the city council wants to make sure that low income, homeless, indigent folks have access to their medical marijuana, their medicine," Darryl Moore, Berkeley City Councilman said. Moore is the Berkeley city councilman behind the free pot plan. It mandates dispensaries set aside 2-percent of the cannabis they sell each year and give it to low-income patients... for free.

Not only that, it has to be the same high-quality marijuana given to regular paying customers. "Medical cannabis can be very expensive. And so we think this is the responsible thing to do for those who are less fortunate in our community," Sean Luse, Berkeley Patients Group said. The Berkeley Patients Group already gives out free cannabis to the poor and has for fifteen years. "We've found out over the years is one of the cruel realities is that when you get sick and you have a serious illness is that it's often hard to keep a job, it can be hard to keep your income up, so those people really need the help the most," Luse said.

We went looking for the other side, for someone who didn't think giving marijuana to the low-income and homeless was a good idea. "It's a big deal because it could get into the wrong hands," Karen who works in Berkeley said. After randomly sampling a dozen people, she was the only one who disagreed, but she added this. "If it's doctor prescribed and that's all they can resort to or that's the only means they have, then I don't have anything against it," Karen said. An idea that may be highly controversial elsewhere isn't drawing too much opposition, or even attention on Berkeley city streets. The measure is expected to get final approval next week.

News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Khon2.com
Author: Ryan Takeo
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Berkeley free pot for the poor plan | KHON2

 

[Dugan]

I love it. In my city they shut down the dispensaries and in Berkley they tell them to give away free marijuana to the poor. They made such a big deal of one shopping center having two dispensaries within 1000 feet of a couple of elementary schools. I went into that center 2-3 times a week (often times after dropping my kid off at school) and never knew they were there. I only found out about the dispensaries when a flag waving, freedom loving, pro war neighbor ranted about them in a neighborhood watch meeting. She and a bunch of other people who normally criticize the 'nanny state' pestered the city council until the dispensaries were shut down.

Ironically, if you went into the supermarket in the same center, right at the entrance there's always a super sized display of beer. And just to the left of the beer display adjacent to the door sits all the hard liquor. It's not uncommon for teens to dash in, grab a bottle and dash out. They wouldn't be able to do that at a dispensary. But I preach to the choir.

 

[painkills2]

Everyone's invited to Dugan's house for a neighborhood watch meeting for progressives. I'll bring the homemade chocolate-chip brownies, if everyone else will bring the bud.

 

[SparkNShred]

This is such a cool idea, but does not go nearly far enough. Food stores should also be required to give away free food and liquor to the poor. Banks should be required to give away depositors' money. Anyone with an extra dollar in their pocket should have to give that to any poor person who asks for one. And UC Berkely should be required to house a homeless person in each dormitory room on campus, and every citizen of Berkely should have to house, feed, clothe, and provide health care for at least one homeless person per empty room in their house or condo.
This way, through the power of confiscation and redistribution of other peoples' property, the problems of poverty, homelessness, and weedlessness would be eliminated.

 

[painkills2]

Yes, because poor people do not deserve to have their pain eased. Nor do they deserve adequate housing, food, or clothing. And, while we're at it, we should ban poor people from the use of a cell phone, internet access, or the ability to rent DVDs. Communication and entertainment are not for the poor, after all.

I don't have much, but I know other people have a lot less, so I don't mind redistributing the little I can afford to those who need it more than me. It has to do with empathy, but also about paying it forward. See, as any disabled person can tell you, we live with the fear of being homeless.

I guess for some people, other (ideological) fears take precedent...

 

[Epicannabis]

Commendos to those in Berkeley who are determined to do the right thing!

The Federal Government, largely made inactive by the Republican Party, is not focusing on equalization and investing to make the United States, or the Planet Earth, a better place to live in the future.

We must do the right thing for the people of this planet, not be intimidated by the opposition of narrow-minded individuals.