Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
If you're a Riverside resident who votes regularly, you soon might get a call from volunteers supporting Measure A.
Though opponents of the medical marijuana initiative aren't working the phones themselves, they still hope the issue is defeated June 2.
Ballots were mailed Monday to Riverside voters for Measure A, a citywide initiative that would lift the ban on medical marijuana dispensaries and set rules for where and how 10 such facilities could operate.
Volunteers in favor of the measure have been calling voters with their pitch, and supporters have donated more than $177,000 to promote it. There's no organized campaign against Measure A, but the mayor and city council members have said they oppose it, and city officials have been giving informational presentations to community groups about what the measure would do if passed.
Riverside officials have a history of staunch opposition to marijuana dispensaries, spending more than $800,000 on attorneys to enforce the city's ban and closing more than 80 of the facilities. Dispensary opponents cite concerns about crime and recreational drug use and note that marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
Supporters argue that people with cancer, chronic pain and other health problems benefit from marijuana and that they should be able to obtain it in a safe, regulated setting in their community. In California, that appears to be a widespread opinion. Recent statewide polls show majority support for medical marijuana and possibly even legal recreational use.
The Facts
The measure would allow a number of medical marijuana dispensaries to open, but it includes rules for who can run them, how they operate and where they can be located.
One dispensary would be permitted for every 30,000 residents in the city, which means up to 10 facilities could open now. They would be allowed only in commercial and industrial zones and must be at least 1,000 feet from schools and other dispensaries.
Facilities would be required to have security guards and cameras, and those managing dispensaries as well as patients would need a doctor's recommendation for marijuana.
Dispensaries must be nonprofit operations, but could charge enough to cover overhead costs such as rent and employee wages. The measure does not include a special tax on dispensary sales, but the facilities would have to pay sales taxes.
Anyone wanting to open a dispensary would have to apply to the city, with special early consideration given to operators of now-closed facilities who sued the city to challenge its ban in 2013.
The measure also would lift the city's prohibition on mobile dispensaries, medical marijuana delivery services.
Location A Concern
Though Riverside's elected leaders oppose Measure A, the city can't legally spend taxpayer money to campaign for or against issues. But it can give voters information, which is why city spokesman Phil Pitchford attended a meeting of The Group, which discusses issues affecting the city's black community, one recent morning.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: RIVERSIDE: City voters to decide on marijuana dispensaries - Press Enterprise
Author: Alicia Robinson
Contact: About : Press Enterprise
Photo Credit: PE
Website: Press Enterprise : Riverside County California News, Sports and Entertainment
Though opponents of the medical marijuana initiative aren't working the phones themselves, they still hope the issue is defeated June 2.
Ballots were mailed Monday to Riverside voters for Measure A, a citywide initiative that would lift the ban on medical marijuana dispensaries and set rules for where and how 10 such facilities could operate.
Volunteers in favor of the measure have been calling voters with their pitch, and supporters have donated more than $177,000 to promote it. There's no organized campaign against Measure A, but the mayor and city council members have said they oppose it, and city officials have been giving informational presentations to community groups about what the measure would do if passed.
Riverside officials have a history of staunch opposition to marijuana dispensaries, spending more than $800,000 on attorneys to enforce the city's ban and closing more than 80 of the facilities. Dispensary opponents cite concerns about crime and recreational drug use and note that marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
Supporters argue that people with cancer, chronic pain and other health problems benefit from marijuana and that they should be able to obtain it in a safe, regulated setting in their community. In California, that appears to be a widespread opinion. Recent statewide polls show majority support for medical marijuana and possibly even legal recreational use.
The Facts
The measure would allow a number of medical marijuana dispensaries to open, but it includes rules for who can run them, how they operate and where they can be located.
One dispensary would be permitted for every 30,000 residents in the city, which means up to 10 facilities could open now. They would be allowed only in commercial and industrial zones and must be at least 1,000 feet from schools and other dispensaries.
Facilities would be required to have security guards and cameras, and those managing dispensaries as well as patients would need a doctor's recommendation for marijuana.
Dispensaries must be nonprofit operations, but could charge enough to cover overhead costs such as rent and employee wages. The measure does not include a special tax on dispensary sales, but the facilities would have to pay sales taxes.
Anyone wanting to open a dispensary would have to apply to the city, with special early consideration given to operators of now-closed facilities who sued the city to challenge its ban in 2013.
The measure also would lift the city's prohibition on mobile dispensaries, medical marijuana delivery services.
Location A Concern
Though Riverside's elected leaders oppose Measure A, the city can't legally spend taxpayer money to campaign for or against issues. But it can give voters information, which is why city spokesman Phil Pitchford attended a meeting of The Group, which discusses issues affecting the city's black community, one recent morning.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: RIVERSIDE: City voters to decide on marijuana dispensaries - Press Enterprise
Author: Alicia Robinson
Contact: About : Press Enterprise
Photo Credit: PE
Website: Press Enterprise : Riverside County California News, Sports and Entertainment
