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Yahoo!The legally murky haze of rules and regulations surrounding Santa Barbara’s seven documented medical marijuana dispensaries got a whole lot easier to see through this week, as the Santa Barbara City Council unanimously approved an ordinance aimed at clearing up issues ranging from permits and zoning to on-site consumption and universal performance standards. Even as federal drug agents working with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department raided a dispensary within city limits for the first time ever this past weekend, councilmembers voted in support of medicinal cannabis users. Moments before the motion passed with a 4-0 vote — Mayor Marty Blum and Councilmember Das Williams were absent — Councilmember Helene Schneider summed up the sprit of the day as “successfully finding the balance between providing legal access to necessary medicine for those who need it while also providing rules for being a good neighbor to those who dispense it.”
Spurred into action late last summer, when the number of dispensaries in town exceeded the number of Starbucks coffee shops, the City Council placed a six-month moratorium on new club applications at the request of several dispensary owners wishing to better define the legal landscape of their emerging industry. After all, at that time, one needed to do little more than apply for a business license in order to open up shop.
After brainstorming sessions at the staff level and in meetings of both the Ordinance Committee and the Planning Commission, an ordinance was proposed this week that, among other things, allows new clubs in commercially zoned areas on lower Milpas Street from Carpinteria Street to Canon Perdido, upper State Street from Calle Real to Calle Laureles, and on the Mesa within 1,000 feet of Meigs Road. Clubs are also prohibited from operating within 500 feet of any K-12 school, public park, or previously existing dispensary. Additionally, the ordinance outlaws on-site consumption of cannabis, save for THC-laced edibles eaten by employees; requires a background check on prospective business operators; mandates accurate and confidential patient records; and prevents the clubs from selling alcohol or marijuana paraphernalia. Also of note, the ordinance grants the power to approve business licenses to the city staff hearing officer and grants licenses indefinitely, as long as the location and ownership of the club remain the same.
According to city numbers, seven cannabis clubs are operating within city limits. (A recent Independent survey found 12, however.) When the bite of the new ordinance, specifically the zoning rules, is applied to them, only one, Hortipharm on upper State Street, will be in compliance, said project supervisor Danny Kato. Two others — Sacred Mountain on Parker Way and AMG on East Haley Street — are partially up to snuff. With all seven of these clubs essentially grandfathered in by the interim ordinance passed in the wake of the moratorium last fall, councilmembers placed an addendum on the new ordinance that gives existing clubs three years to resolve their non-conforming locations, so long as they follow all of the remaining new rules of engagement.
Patrick Fourmy — owner and operator of one of the city’s longest running dispensaries, The Compassionate Center — applauded the council’s efforts and urged councilmembers to enforce a “higher level of transparency” on all existing and future clubs. Pointing to a similar ordinance in Oakland, Fourmy stressed the importance of completely open financial books and full disclosure of income and expenses as a means of both weeding out “unethical” proprietors and keeping federal agents at bay.
The ordinance returns as formality to the council next week for final approval. “I’m sure that we will be tuning this over time,” noted Councilmember Dale Francisco in apparent reference to the lack of means for tracking how much medical cannabis is being dispensed and also the raid on the Pacific Greens dispensary this weekend. As of press time, the Sheriff’s Department remained mum on the topic, other than acknowledging its involvement in the action.
Double-clicking on any word or phrase in this story will open a reference window with definitions and links to other reference material.
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What a bunch of crock.... medcine. Are there really that many people with Glaucoma that we need 12 dispensaries? What did these poor disabled people do for medicine before these places opened for business? I would venture to say 95% of the people getting pot from SB "clinics" do it for recreation and addiction.
http://www.marijuana-addiction.net/
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/
http://www.marijuanaaddiction.info/
InTheKnow (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 7:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, almost 1 in 10 people over the age of eighty have glaucoma. Not all are symptomatic, so it is under-diagnosed.
Chicalifornian (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
in the know , u do not know crap!!!where ever you resources came from they are crap too. read on....http://mamas.org/Dare%20to%20tell.htm maybe the people in SB are abusing these laws ,they are also the ones who tear down our efforts to eduacate properly on MEDICINAL USE, AND ARE RUINING IT FOR THE PATIENTS WHO ARE LEGITAMITE AND SUFFERING!! read more...http://mamas.org/mamasays.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2xCcfpYF...
evala1960 (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How about regulating Starbuck's and all the other junk food pushers in town. Make a real attempt at helping prevent lifestyle related illnesses that are bankrupting the nation and our children's health. You can now make disability claims for obesity. Smoke pot, cram your face with crap and get paid for it by the Government. I love this country!
Mugu (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a list taken from http://www.addictionca.com/signs-of-mari...
------------------------------------------------------------
There are many signs of marijuana addiction to be aware of. We have listed numerous below to help in determining if someone you care for may be using marijuana.
Signs of Marijuana addiction:
Dilated (large) pupils
Cigarette rolling papers
Seeds that have been cleaned from marijuana
Smell on clothing, in room, or in car
Bloodshot eyes
Sleepy appearance
Reduced motivation
Pipes, bongs, homemade smoking devices (you may see sticky residue from burned marijuana)
Anxiety
Difficulty thinking
Distorted sensory perceptions
Dry mouth
Euphoria (temporary feelings of elation, energy and limitless power)
Feeling sluggish
Grandiosity (acting in a pompous or boastful manner)
Impaired judgment
Impaired short-term memory
Inappropriate laughter
Increased heart rate
Increased appetite, craving sweets
Reduced coordination
Temporary feelings of reduced anxiety or stress
Sadness/depressed mood
Sensation that time is passing slowly
Social withdrawal and isolation
Discolored fingers
Sleepiness
------------------------------------------
I am experiencing inappropriate laughter whilst reading this list, as most of these are not signs of addiction... merely signs someone has recently been toking! I have yet to experience a temporary feeling of limitless power from smoking weed... perhaps I'm buying the wrong stuff!
booradley (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvXRiy2UQ...
booradley (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey "InTheKnow"-
It's not just Glaucoma. You should educate yourself before you get on your soapbox. Cancer patients, AIDS patients, people who suffer from Neurological disorders, Arthritis sufferers- all benefit from the use of marijuana. The facts are that it's about as addictive as chocolate or caffeine. Why you care about what people do behind closed doors in the privacy of their own home is beyond me.
Would you rather have it be regulated, taxed, and safely distributed, or should we go back to the dark ages of the black market? People are going to smoke pot regardless, so what would you prefer? All those clubs that you seem to despise pay taxes just like any other business.
mike (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We need some good whore houses and gambling joints in our neighborhoods too. Bring back opium dens ! Pots too light weight for medical use. Or better yet, rebuild China Town, it would be good for the tourist biz. Lets all sell drugs, it's unfair that just a few can make big bucks from it. Better yet, the city should get in the biz to fund projects and schools.
Mugu (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 6:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We need to just legalize the whole gamut of drugs and end the "war on drugs". It has exacted a greater toll on our nation and the world than would possibly have been experience if all had been legal.
Turn over regulation to the ATF except that it would be the DAT (Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco); no need to put fire arms where they don't belong. The FBI can take care of those.
Set limits just like with tobacco and alcohol (age, etc.).
Then organized crime will no longer be a part of the business thereby reducing if not eliminating the senseless killing that goes on over turf and such.
dionysiuspetros (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 8:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There are legal drugs that can be addictive. Should we ban all them as well?
billclausen (anonymous profile)
March 20, 2008 at 10:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
+1 for mike and +1 for dionysiuspetros
You win the golden star of truth!
It also treats epilepsy, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis and literally dozens of other both serious conditions and less serious conditions which are all covered under state law..
Hey, check this out:
"Cannabis normalized impaired psychomotor performance and mood in a patient with hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)"
http://bbsnews.net/article.php/200710011...
loonpt (anonymous profile)
March 26, 2008 at 10:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
god damnit, i have serious chronic pain/fibromyalgia and the central coast (San luis obispo county) doesnt have any running clubs, so im basically forced out of town in order to get medicine that actually works for me (mixture works the best, same strain for long periods of time gets less results)...now ive had some horrible luck and terrible time over the last few months, trying to find somewhere to pick up my medicine - i finally get a good routine, jump on amtrak - down to santa barbara, walk to Sacred mountain (which wasnt cutting it, not enough flavors, not high enough grade flavors, over-potent edibles) but that was my only choice to walk to and get back on the train, then i found Pacific Greens, which was a godsend to me - i was able to go home with 10 different strains (only an 1/8th of each) to last me the month (where as i can go through an oz a week if its the same flavor)....now after my first freggin visit. im sooo happy i have a home to visit, even if its several hours and a train ride away, then i find this article, destroying my faith once again, for the 50th time or so, a quality club has been ripped from my grips and back to the low quality bad for your health shwag because the god damn govt wont leave alone the clubs that provide us with quality medicine that acutally HELPS our symptoms rather than exacerbate them......this phuking BLOWS, im sick and tired of this crap, leave our phukin clubs alone!
im also sick and tired of clubs being all about the phukin money, clubs need to start offering more than just a place to sell medicine, they should have gatherings and health discussions with liscenced physicians, classes on how to grow your own, meetings for growers and tradesmen to get together an trade their flavors and medicine for other services.... isnt this what a CO-OP would normally be about?
Phuk the police raids and gov bullcrap ruining our lives, our lives are bad enough in suffering without having to jump through hoops for our medication......
--FRustrated beyond belief
Frustrated (anonymous profile)
March 27, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I Also had problems with ADHD - was diagnosed with i was about 17, marijuana help largely with hyperactivity and allowed me to focus as well as kept me from disrupting the rest of the class nearly as much, i know that most people dont agree with allowing minors to medicate with marijuana, but i had proof with my Grades and responces from my Teachers that i was MUCH more managable while medicated with marijuana and got 3.7+ GPA (prior with my hyperactive lack of focus, around 2.0 GPA)
now i can get the same results with xanax and prozac, but honestly i feel marijuana has much less side effects and is much more effective while in turn also helps with many other problems ive got mostly with pain and some nerve....
why take many medications when one covers most, also less worry of mixing the medications, we may say dont mix this with that but 90% of the time its because thye dont know what the result can be. well why take your chances....marijuana is much safer
ramble ramble... ok i could go on forever, sorry...
Frustrated (anonymous profile)
March 27, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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