Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Following Community Development Director Rob Holmlund’s suggestion, the Eureka City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday to move forward with a process for approving two medical marijuana dispensaries within the city that could acquire their product elsewhere. Councilwomen Melinda Ciarabellini and Marian Brady opposed the motion.
In previous formulations, the city had allowed for four dispensaries that grew their product and distributed and two that could distribute product acquired elsewhere. At Tuesday’s meeting, Holmlund suggested the council issue requests for qualifications for two standalone distribution facilities.
Holmlund said he was able to arrange interviews with growers to determine some of their issues.
“I went to lunch with some interesting people in the last month or two,” he said.
Foremost, Holmlund noted, was a concern that outsider growers and dispensaries would move in and dominate the area’s industry. One possible solution, Holmlund said, was to add points for local residents in the city’s request for qualifications - a process whereby the city seeks applicants and reviews their suitability for running the dispensaries.
Not all audience members were convinced that pursuing medical marijuana dispensaries was the best way for the city to spend its limited resources.
Eureka resident Minnie Wolf suggested the city would be wiser to spend their time and money on addressing the issues of homelessness. Others countered that the city would be wise to direct energy toward the industry that could create jobs for those left without work due to the shrinking resource industries.
When the discussion returned to the council, lines were quickly drawn.
Councilwoman Marian Brady recalled that she and Councilwoman Linda Atkins were part of the city committee that reviewed applications in the earlier go-round. The reason, she said, that the council at that time required both growing and distribution in four of the allowed facilities dealt with the specific nature of medical marijuana, noting that it needed to be carefully grown under specific conditions.
“In my mind,” Atkins said, “the idea behind having people grow and sell, was to control poisons, pesticides and herbicides.”
Since that time and her service as a city liaison to the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, Atkins said she believes growing indoors “is a bad deal.”
Councilwoman Melinda Ciarabellini was clear on her opposition to the city’s allowing medical marijuana dispensaries.
“It’s still illegal,” she said. “I think we’re wasting the city’s time and energy. It’s not my vision for the city of Eureka. I’m not going to win here, I know that, but it’s just not in my vision.” Atkins questioned the content of that vision, referring to an older sister who is just recovering from cancer treatment and to the medical marijuana that helped her get through that treatment.
“Without medical marijuana,” she said, “she wouldn’t have made it through that treatment like she did. ... It’s an overstatement that (medical marijuana) will cause some big, huge cultural problem.”
Mayor Frank Jager had his own take on the debate.
“I used to arrest people for having seeds in their pockets,” he said. “Like Bob Dylan said, ‘Times, they are a-changing.’”
The council will review the ordinance for approving dispensaries at a later date.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Eureka council opts for two medical marijuana dispensaries
Author: Jessie Faulkner
Contact: jfaulkner@times-standard.com
Photo Credit: Times-Standard File Photo
Website: Eureka Times-Standard: Breaking News, Sports, Business, Entertainment & Eureka News
In previous formulations, the city had allowed for four dispensaries that grew their product and distributed and two that could distribute product acquired elsewhere. At Tuesday’s meeting, Holmlund suggested the council issue requests for qualifications for two standalone distribution facilities.
Holmlund said he was able to arrange interviews with growers to determine some of their issues.
“I went to lunch with some interesting people in the last month or two,” he said.
Foremost, Holmlund noted, was a concern that outsider growers and dispensaries would move in and dominate the area’s industry. One possible solution, Holmlund said, was to add points for local residents in the city’s request for qualifications - a process whereby the city seeks applicants and reviews their suitability for running the dispensaries.
Not all audience members were convinced that pursuing medical marijuana dispensaries was the best way for the city to spend its limited resources.
Eureka resident Minnie Wolf suggested the city would be wiser to spend their time and money on addressing the issues of homelessness. Others countered that the city would be wise to direct energy toward the industry that could create jobs for those left without work due to the shrinking resource industries.
When the discussion returned to the council, lines were quickly drawn.
Councilwoman Marian Brady recalled that she and Councilwoman Linda Atkins were part of the city committee that reviewed applications in the earlier go-round. The reason, she said, that the council at that time required both growing and distribution in four of the allowed facilities dealt with the specific nature of medical marijuana, noting that it needed to be carefully grown under specific conditions.
“In my mind,” Atkins said, “the idea behind having people grow and sell, was to control poisons, pesticides and herbicides.”
Since that time and her service as a city liaison to the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, Atkins said she believes growing indoors “is a bad deal.”
Councilwoman Melinda Ciarabellini was clear on her opposition to the city’s allowing medical marijuana dispensaries.
“It’s still illegal,” she said. “I think we’re wasting the city’s time and energy. It’s not my vision for the city of Eureka. I’m not going to win here, I know that, but it’s just not in my vision.” Atkins questioned the content of that vision, referring to an older sister who is just recovering from cancer treatment and to the medical marijuana that helped her get through that treatment.
“Without medical marijuana,” she said, “she wouldn’t have made it through that treatment like she did. ... It’s an overstatement that (medical marijuana) will cause some big, huge cultural problem.”
Mayor Frank Jager had his own take on the debate.
“I used to arrest people for having seeds in their pockets,” he said. “Like Bob Dylan said, ‘Times, they are a-changing.’”
The council will review the ordinance for approving dispensaries at a later date.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Eureka council opts for two medical marijuana dispensaries
Author: Jessie Faulkner
Contact: jfaulkner@times-standard.com
Photo Credit: Times-Standard File Photo
Website: Eureka Times-Standard: Breaking News, Sports, Business, Entertainment & Eureka News
