Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
City leaders and members of the local medical marijuana industry will work together to formulate an educational campaign that encourages safe use, cautions against drug-impaired driving, and educates parents about concerns associated with youth consumption.
When Councilwoman Suzie Price introduced the item on Tuesday, she stressed the importance of finding commonality on what has historically been a controversial issue in Long Beach.
The idea for the campaign came from conversations with policy makers in other states across the nation that have legalized marijuana, such as Colorado, who in the first few years struggled with crafting effective policies.
"One thing I've been told repeatedly by states that have legalized marijuana is ... they wish they would have come to the table with the marijuana industry to develop best practices," she said.
In some instances, she said educational campaigns were created without industry representation, and it resulted in misleading messages the marijuana industry found offensive.
The goal here is for Long Beach to craft something that all parties are supportive of, she said.
The push for collaborative outreach comes one week before the city is set to begin accepting applications for prospective dispensary owners, a change ushered in by Long Beach voters who in November repealed a citywide ban on medical marijuana businesses through Measure MM.
The regulations written into the citizen-driven measure already require some of the educational elements the council is seeking, such as placing stickers on dispensary windows that show the business is licensed and employee education on penalties for selling to minors or those without a cannabis card. So, this campaign would essentially expand on what's already being done.
But some in the industry, such as cannabis attorney Stefan Borst Censullo, are concerned that the item will further an "enforcement first" approach to the marijuana industry.
"With this (Price) can push for targeted regulations against dispensaries and keep down any expansion of the market," he said.
Borst Censullo, whose clients include prospective Long Beach dispensary owners, said he is also concerned about marijuana-related DUI enforcement, which is controversial because there is no statewide standard that measures an allowable level of cannabis.
This could lead to "blatantly discriminatory" policing, which is counter to the intent of deregulation.
Price, however, said the item isn't meant to be "intrusive."
"It's really an opportunity to extend the olive branch and say 'Can we work together to meet our common goals?'" she said.
While there's disagreement on the City Council about what's the right thing to do with marijuana legalization, Vice Mayor Rex Richardson said the conversation has always been guided through a lens of "How do we protect our children, and how do we protect public safety?"
"I'm asking that the industry really step up here, and I know that they will," he said. "We are looking for more collaboration and more leadership on the issue."
Adam Hijazi, a Long Beach Collective Association board member and former member of the city's marijuana task force, said the group is "in complete support" of the program.
Nick Morrow, a retired narcotics detective, applauded the idea but he also cautioned against using old data to inform the campaign.
"What we need to do is keep the emotion, agenda and old, inaccurate information out of the training program," he said, noting that law enforcement agencies sometimes use outdated studies and statistics.
In pushing for responsible regulation, he said, "I'd like Long Beach to be the example the rest of the state follows."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana Industry, Long Beach Leaders Agree On Cannabis Education Campaign
Author: Courtney Tompkins
Contact: (562) 435-1161
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Press-Telegram
When Councilwoman Suzie Price introduced the item on Tuesday, she stressed the importance of finding commonality on what has historically been a controversial issue in Long Beach.
The idea for the campaign came from conversations with policy makers in other states across the nation that have legalized marijuana, such as Colorado, who in the first few years struggled with crafting effective policies.
"One thing I've been told repeatedly by states that have legalized marijuana is ... they wish they would have come to the table with the marijuana industry to develop best practices," she said.
In some instances, she said educational campaigns were created without industry representation, and it resulted in misleading messages the marijuana industry found offensive.
The goal here is for Long Beach to craft something that all parties are supportive of, she said.
The push for collaborative outreach comes one week before the city is set to begin accepting applications for prospective dispensary owners, a change ushered in by Long Beach voters who in November repealed a citywide ban on medical marijuana businesses through Measure MM.
The regulations written into the citizen-driven measure already require some of the educational elements the council is seeking, such as placing stickers on dispensary windows that show the business is licensed and employee education on penalties for selling to minors or those without a cannabis card. So, this campaign would essentially expand on what's already being done.
But some in the industry, such as cannabis attorney Stefan Borst Censullo, are concerned that the item will further an "enforcement first" approach to the marijuana industry.
"With this (Price) can push for targeted regulations against dispensaries and keep down any expansion of the market," he said.
Borst Censullo, whose clients include prospective Long Beach dispensary owners, said he is also concerned about marijuana-related DUI enforcement, which is controversial because there is no statewide standard that measures an allowable level of cannabis.
This could lead to "blatantly discriminatory" policing, which is counter to the intent of deregulation.
Price, however, said the item isn't meant to be "intrusive."
"It's really an opportunity to extend the olive branch and say 'Can we work together to meet our common goals?'" she said.
While there's disagreement on the City Council about what's the right thing to do with marijuana legalization, Vice Mayor Rex Richardson said the conversation has always been guided through a lens of "How do we protect our children, and how do we protect public safety?"
"I'm asking that the industry really step up here, and I know that they will," he said. "We are looking for more collaboration and more leadership on the issue."
Adam Hijazi, a Long Beach Collective Association board member and former member of the city's marijuana task force, said the group is "in complete support" of the program.
Nick Morrow, a retired narcotics detective, applauded the idea but he also cautioned against using old data to inform the campaign.
"What we need to do is keep the emotion, agenda and old, inaccurate information out of the training program," he said, noting that law enforcement agencies sometimes use outdated studies and statistics.
In pushing for responsible regulation, he said, "I'd like Long Beach to be the example the rest of the state follows."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana Industry, Long Beach Leaders Agree On Cannabis Education Campaign
Author: Courtney Tompkins
Contact: (562) 435-1161
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Press-Telegram
