T
The420Guy
Guest
HAYWARD -- The City Council might reconsider a decision it made
Tuesday that forces the closure of the Hayward Hempery's medical
marijuana dispensary.
At the request of Mayor Roberta Cooper, who is concerned about
"fairness issues," the council is scheduled Tuesday night to decide
whether to revisit a surprise decision it made a week before.
Earlier that night, Cooper warned the crowd of medical marijuana
proponents to keep testimony brief because the council's ability to
make rational decisions drops significantly after 11 p.m.
At 11:13 p.m. the council voted unanimously to allow two other
dispensaries to continue to operate in downtown Hayward, but not The
Hempery.
The council was scheduled to consider grandfathering in The Hempery
and the Local Patients Cooperative -- both on Foothill Boulevard near
B Street -- as part of a compromise agreement that evolved from a
city task force on medical marijuana. The dispensaries, including a
third that opened recently in the same vicinity on Foothill, have
been operating in violation of Hayward's zoning law.
Instead, based on the facilities' reputations, the council sanctioned
Local Patients Cooperative and the new Hayward Patients' Resource
Center (HPRC), a revival of the former B Street Helping Hands
Patients' Center.
Cooper, who was later contacted by Hempery owner Cheryl Adams, said
the council's late decision may have been made unfairly and in haste.
She's not sure the city did its part in notifying Adams of the
meeting.
She also said many dispensary proponents had mistakenly concluded,
based on an earlier work session, that the council was going to
grandfather in all three existing dispensaries.
"We didn't have a deal," she said, chalking up their interpretation
to "naivete."
Cooper and other council members also said they were dismayed to
learn, after the fact, that The Hempery was robbed earlier this
month, but Adams didn't report it to police at the urging of HPRC
owner Jane Weirick. [Jane denies this, see note below - D.G.]
"Any robbery of any significance should be reported to police," Cooper said.
Councilman Joe Hilson said he felt that, by hiding the robbery,
people weren't being "straight" with the council.
Tuesday's discussion is expected to be quick and purely procedural.
If the council wants to reconsider the item, it will be put on a
later meeting agenda.
By Michelle Meyers, STAFF WRITER
Hayward (CA) Daily Review
11/22/2003
https://www.dailyreviewonline.com/Stories/0,1413,88~10975~1784467,00.html
Tuesday that forces the closure of the Hayward Hempery's medical
marijuana dispensary.
At the request of Mayor Roberta Cooper, who is concerned about
"fairness issues," the council is scheduled Tuesday night to decide
whether to revisit a surprise decision it made a week before.
Earlier that night, Cooper warned the crowd of medical marijuana
proponents to keep testimony brief because the council's ability to
make rational decisions drops significantly after 11 p.m.
At 11:13 p.m. the council voted unanimously to allow two other
dispensaries to continue to operate in downtown Hayward, but not The
Hempery.
The council was scheduled to consider grandfathering in The Hempery
and the Local Patients Cooperative -- both on Foothill Boulevard near
B Street -- as part of a compromise agreement that evolved from a
city task force on medical marijuana. The dispensaries, including a
third that opened recently in the same vicinity on Foothill, have
been operating in violation of Hayward's zoning law.
Instead, based on the facilities' reputations, the council sanctioned
Local Patients Cooperative and the new Hayward Patients' Resource
Center (HPRC), a revival of the former B Street Helping Hands
Patients' Center.
Cooper, who was later contacted by Hempery owner Cheryl Adams, said
the council's late decision may have been made unfairly and in haste.
She's not sure the city did its part in notifying Adams of the
meeting.
She also said many dispensary proponents had mistakenly concluded,
based on an earlier work session, that the council was going to
grandfather in all three existing dispensaries.
"We didn't have a deal," she said, chalking up their interpretation
to "naivete."
Cooper and other council members also said they were dismayed to
learn, after the fact, that The Hempery was robbed earlier this
month, but Adams didn't report it to police at the urging of HPRC
owner Jane Weirick. [Jane denies this, see note below - D.G.]
"Any robbery of any significance should be reported to police," Cooper said.
Councilman Joe Hilson said he felt that, by hiding the robbery,
people weren't being "straight" with the council.
Tuesday's discussion is expected to be quick and purely procedural.
If the council wants to reconsider the item, it will be put on a
later meeting agenda.
By Michelle Meyers, STAFF WRITER
Hayward (CA) Daily Review
11/22/2003
https://www.dailyreviewonline.com/Stories/0,1413,88~10975~1784467,00.html