Sac City Council; Rally for Prop. 215 Medicinal Cannabis Rights!

read entire article;
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/04/03/18643723.php

Say NO to Reduction of Prop.215 Dispensaries!

Saturday Apr 3rd, 2010 3:35 PM

Certain members of the Sacramento City Council came up with the idea that reducing the current number of dispensaries (around 40) within Sac city limits to a number around 12 or 13 chosen by lottery instead of allowing free market access of Prop. 215 dispensaries to compete fairly based upon product quality and service from staff.

To impose a drastic restriction on the 40 + or so currently operating 215 cannabis dispensaries will create an economic bottleneck effect as demand will remain the same, if not increase, while supply will be restricted to only 13 lucky lottery winners who will be allowed to remain open. This is incredibly unfair to 215 patients who currently have choices of which dispensary they want to shop at, and the quality of the product and service from staff and possibly location within the city are their reasons for choosing one dispensary over another.

Supporters of 215 patients rights and anyone with a 215 recommendation is invited to speak out at the city council meeting on Tues, April 6th beginning at 3 pm. Prior to the city council meeting will be a medicinal cannabis rally held at Ceasar Chavez Park on 10th and J street beginning at 12 pm and moving to Sacramento city council at 3 pm. Supporters of 215 patient rights are welcome to attend the rally also.

If you cannot make the rally or council event physically, please try to email Sacramento city council members and advise them to not support the dispensary reduction plans and instead work with 215 patients together to ensure positive outcomes with the currently operating 215 dispensaries.

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/council/

The City Council meets on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at the new City Hall at 915 I Street on the first floor. Public comment will be at the beginning of the meeting.

Kevin Johnson
Mayor
Mayor's Office
916-808-5300


Sandy Sheedy
District 2
916-808-7002

Steve Cohn
District 3
916-808-7003


Robert King Fong
District 4
916-808-7004

Lauren Hammond
District 5
916-808-7005


Kevin McCarty
District 6
916-808-7006

Robbie Waters
Vice Mayor
District 7
916-808-7007

Bonnie Pannell
District 8
916-808-7008

The FAX number for all Council Members is 916-264-7680.




Background article on city council proposal;

By Peter Hecht
phecht [at] sacbee.com

"Last night city politicians presented an ordinance that would cap the number of medical marijuana dispensaries at 12, as well as placing tighter restrictions on how they operate (see link). The city meeting was packed with medical marijuana advocates and dispensary owners, who stated that such a proposal is unfair, and that lawsuits would be sure to follow. One dispensary owner put it into perspective when he said, “This proposal would kill myself and other patients in similar situations,” complained Ryan Landers a Sacramento senior adviser for the Compassionate Coalition. “You’re going to close clubs where hundreds of patients get marijuana. This is a huge problem for the sick.”

The plan includes:

A Lottery to decide which shops would be allowed to stay in business. Wow, are you kidding me? Other cities have placed moratoriums on new dispensaries, essentially ‘grandfathering’ in old dispensaries. I think that would have been a more rational approach then a ’12 winners take all’ approach.


One dispensary owner, Sonny Kumar of ‘El Camino Wellness Center,’ feels that the rules will crush almost every dispensary in the City of Sacramento. “It would result in only three locations where clubs or dispensaries would be left in the total city,” Kumar said. The City Council is expected to work on the proposed ordinance through May, and if approved, the ordinance could take effect in June or July."

article found @;
http://www.theweedblog.com/sacramento-to-limit-medical-marijuana-dispensaries/

also;
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/12/2601587/sacramento-marijuana-dispenseries.html

further info;
http://www.safeaccessnow.org

http://californiamedicalmarijuana.org/sacramento-dispensaries