Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Marin residents voted by a 72 percent majority to legalize medical cannabis in 1996 and last November voted by an 89 percent majority to legalize recreational cannabis, but county residents are demonstrating little enthusiasm for having a dispensary located near them.
Preparing for a public hearing Thursday night, a group of Black Point neighborhood residents have gathered about 300 signatures on a petition opposing approval of a dispensary in the Black Point/Green Point neighborhood that borders Novato.
"We're against any dispensary in Black Point, basically," said Hans Eide, a resident who lives close by one of the proposed dispensaries and helped gather signatures for the petition.
Other Marin communities where dispensary applications are pending have generated similar petitions. Residents in unincorporated Mill Valley in southern Marin and San Geronimo Valley in West Marin have both posted petitions on Change.org . La plateforme mondiale pour le changement. So far, 643 people have signed the Mill Valley petition while 445 people have signed the San Geronimo Valley petition.
At 6 p.m. Thursday, the county of Marin holds its last of three hearings to discuss 10 applications for medical cannabis dispensaries. In May 2016, the Marin County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance that would allow up to four medical cannabis dispensaries in unincorporated Marin.
Currently, there are no legal medical marijuana dispensaries anywhere in the unincorporated county or in any of Marin's 11 municipalities. A number of delivery services, however, are supplying "medical cannabis" to Marin residents.
FOUR APPLICATIONS
At Thursday's hearing, four applications for medical cannabis will be reviewed. One of the applications is for a site in unincorporated San Rafael: Delta 11, 70 San Pablo Ave. The other three applications are for sites in the Black Point neighborhood: Caregiver Compassion Group Releaf Center, 5 Harbor Dr.; Marin Compassionate Collective, 5 Harbor Dr.; and Marin Community Partners, 9 & 11 Harbor Dr.
Eide, who has lived at 124 Harbor Drive for 30 years, said he is concerned about the additional traffic a dispensary would bring into the neighborhood, the additional security lighting at night and armed guards.
"It's not something you'd want next to your house," Eide said.
Eide's petition also asserts that a cannabis dispensary would increase crime and result in lower property values.
Susanna Mahoney, president of the Black Point Improvement Club, said her club, which has 75 household-paying members, has voted to oppose any dispensary in the Black Point neighborhood.
"One of the primary reasons is the sheer volume of customers expected," Mahoney said. "Our members feel it would overwhelm the community. The applicants cite a much lower expected customer count than what has actually been observed and reported at similar dispensaries."
TRAFFIC CONCERN
Jim Bakken, who lives about a quarter of a mile from one of the proposed dispensaries in Black Point, said bringing additional traffic into the neighborhood is his main concern.
"Right now we have no street lights, no sidewalks and there is no shoulder on the street large enough to accommodate a single pedestrian," Bakken said.
Bakken said on the weekend he routinely takes walks in the neighborhood with his children, ages two and four, and he fears that doing so won't be safe if traffic increases.
Bakken said he voted to legalize both medical and recreational cannabis.
"I personally have no problem with medical marijuana," Bakken said.
But Bakken says people in Novato who want medical marijuana can get it delivered to their home now.
"It's not an access to medical marijuana issue at all," he said. "There is no reason to put this in our neighborhood."
DELIVERY SERVICES
But Scot Candell, a San Rafael lawyer who sits on the advisory board of Shoreline Health Center and is serving as the attorney for another applicant, Delta 11, said that when a new state law regulating medical cannabis takes effect in January, all delivery services that are not connected to a physical dispensary will be outlawed.
"So right now, Marin has delivery services; but they may not in the future," Candell said. "The only way the county will continue to have delivery services is if there is a dispensary in Marin that is willing to deliver to its patients.
In addition, some cities and counties may ban deliveries to their areas."
As for increased traffic, Candell said if a dispensary is replacing an existing business, traffic may not increase at all.
"If the dispensary is located on a vacant lot, traffic is going to increase," Candell said, "but it is going to increase no matter what business you put there."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marin County Communities Just Saying No To Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
Author: Richard Halstead
Contact: 415-883-8600
Photo Credit: Will Houston
Website: Marin Independent Journal
Preparing for a public hearing Thursday night, a group of Black Point neighborhood residents have gathered about 300 signatures on a petition opposing approval of a dispensary in the Black Point/Green Point neighborhood that borders Novato.
"We're against any dispensary in Black Point, basically," said Hans Eide, a resident who lives close by one of the proposed dispensaries and helped gather signatures for the petition.
Other Marin communities where dispensary applications are pending have generated similar petitions. Residents in unincorporated Mill Valley in southern Marin and San Geronimo Valley in West Marin have both posted petitions on Change.org . La plateforme mondiale pour le changement. So far, 643 people have signed the Mill Valley petition while 445 people have signed the San Geronimo Valley petition.
At 6 p.m. Thursday, the county of Marin holds its last of three hearings to discuss 10 applications for medical cannabis dispensaries. In May 2016, the Marin County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance that would allow up to four medical cannabis dispensaries in unincorporated Marin.
Currently, there are no legal medical marijuana dispensaries anywhere in the unincorporated county or in any of Marin's 11 municipalities. A number of delivery services, however, are supplying "medical cannabis" to Marin residents.
FOUR APPLICATIONS
At Thursday's hearing, four applications for medical cannabis will be reviewed. One of the applications is for a site in unincorporated San Rafael: Delta 11, 70 San Pablo Ave. The other three applications are for sites in the Black Point neighborhood: Caregiver Compassion Group Releaf Center, 5 Harbor Dr.; Marin Compassionate Collective, 5 Harbor Dr.; and Marin Community Partners, 9 & 11 Harbor Dr.
Eide, who has lived at 124 Harbor Drive for 30 years, said he is concerned about the additional traffic a dispensary would bring into the neighborhood, the additional security lighting at night and armed guards.
"It's not something you'd want next to your house," Eide said.
Eide's petition also asserts that a cannabis dispensary would increase crime and result in lower property values.
Susanna Mahoney, president of the Black Point Improvement Club, said her club, which has 75 household-paying members, has voted to oppose any dispensary in the Black Point neighborhood.
"One of the primary reasons is the sheer volume of customers expected," Mahoney said. "Our members feel it would overwhelm the community. The applicants cite a much lower expected customer count than what has actually been observed and reported at similar dispensaries."
TRAFFIC CONCERN
Jim Bakken, who lives about a quarter of a mile from one of the proposed dispensaries in Black Point, said bringing additional traffic into the neighborhood is his main concern.
"Right now we have no street lights, no sidewalks and there is no shoulder on the street large enough to accommodate a single pedestrian," Bakken said.
Bakken said on the weekend he routinely takes walks in the neighborhood with his children, ages two and four, and he fears that doing so won't be safe if traffic increases.
Bakken said he voted to legalize both medical and recreational cannabis.
"I personally have no problem with medical marijuana," Bakken said.
But Bakken says people in Novato who want medical marijuana can get it delivered to their home now.
"It's not an access to medical marijuana issue at all," he said. "There is no reason to put this in our neighborhood."
DELIVERY SERVICES
But Scot Candell, a San Rafael lawyer who sits on the advisory board of Shoreline Health Center and is serving as the attorney for another applicant, Delta 11, said that when a new state law regulating medical cannabis takes effect in January, all delivery services that are not connected to a physical dispensary will be outlawed.
"So right now, Marin has delivery services; but they may not in the future," Candell said. "The only way the county will continue to have delivery services is if there is a dispensary in Marin that is willing to deliver to its patients.
In addition, some cities and counties may ban deliveries to their areas."
As for increased traffic, Candell said if a dispensary is replacing an existing business, traffic may not increase at all.
"If the dispensary is located on a vacant lot, traffic is going to increase," Candell said, "but it is going to increase no matter what business you put there."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marin County Communities Just Saying No To Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
Author: Richard Halstead
Contact: 415-883-8600
Photo Credit: Will Houston
Website: Marin Independent Journal
