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Cannabis Corruption Pay The Police $50,000 A Year And You Might Get A Dispensary

shaggyballs

Active member
Veteran
[YOUTUBEIF]s5GJzOlIgQI[/YOUTUBEIF]

Bribery, Graft, and Corruption Will Get You A Dispensary In Massachusetts.

In the second most “no duh” article this week (please see our article on a study showing how alcohol makes you more aggressive while marijuana calms you down), we come to find out that in order to get a dispensary in Massachusetts (and I assume other places) you have to pay to play.

The Boston Globe released a report that showed that a new dispensary license request comes with a hefty “sir charge” in order to be considered by local authorities. The Boston Globe article, which you can read here, states the following.

Massachusetts cities and towns are exacting increasingly hefty payments from medical marijuana dispensaries in exchange for letters the companies need to win state licenses, a Globe review of recent compacts shows.

In Worcester, a dispensary promised to pay the city $450,000 over three years — and $200,000 a year after that — if officials gave their blessing to the business.

!n Springfield, the city is negotiating a deal that would ultimately take 7 percent of a dispensary’s revenue, plus a $50,000 annual donation to the Police Department — a pact that could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This is straight out graft and bribery. An annual donation of $50,000 to the Police Department? Huh? The same guys that are arresting people for marijuana?

The report goes on to say…

“It’s quite clear if you don’t negotiate an agreement, you don’t get a letter,” said James E. Smith, a Boston attorney who represents a marijuana company that signed one of the larger agreements in March, with the City of Worcester.

This phenomenon, which some called pay-to-play, is not typically seen with marijuana licensing in other states, and will drive up the costs of doing business while siphoning money from the dispensaries that could be used to lower prices for needy patients, advocates said.

Negotiate an agreement? Why does that sound just like a loan shark or neighborhood protection goon walking in your barber shop or shoe store?

It seems that the marijuana industry has come under intense scrutiny every step of the way to make sure “no one let’s kids get marijuana”, yet those that are holding the industries' feet to the fire are the ones getting rich off the kickbacks and bribes.

Does it get in any better? Nope. Only going to get worse as cities and towns need to raise funds for underfunded pension plans and tax short falls. Check out the end of the Boston Globe report:

Since Worcester signed its contract in March, the Town of Southborough has signed a sweeter deal that promises the town 3 percent of the dispensary’s annual sales, capped at $500,000 a year, plus $50,000 in annual payments to the town for school substance abuse and mental health programs.

The City of Springfield may soon top that. Springfield leaders are considering a 10-year deal with a dispensary that starts at 3 percent of annual sales and steadily climbs to 7 percent by the ninth year, in addition to an annual $50,000 donation to the Police Department.
 

Switcher56

Comfortably numb!
A token fee if you ask me and, you know what I am talking about! It's call the cost of doing business, whether you agree with it or not!
 

shaggyballs

Active member
Veteran
When it involved gangsters it was refered to as a payoff.
As in if you pay the cops off, they will look the other way.
If you refuse to pay, you will get arrested.
Is it really that different when it is over the table?
If the cops are in your pocket you are golden, if not expect a raid.
Tha game is the same, the names of the players has changed that is all.
Protection money is protection money no matter how you slice it.
 

shaggyballs

Active member
Veteran
So everyone is cool with legal weed where you pay off the cops to get your store?

WTF this is so so wrong.
We seem to be handing cannabis over to the cops at the moment.
 

St. Phatty

Active member
I can think of a lot of federal agencies
that would help the general public
by closing down

DEA
DoD
FDA
FBI

etc.

... AND their local counterparts.

US = one big make-work program.
 

Capt.Ahab

Feeding the ducks with a bun.
Veteran
One of the two dispensaries here is going to be hit with 3% of gross, 50K a year to the cops and 30K a year to some sort of "scholarship". Add that to annual town licensing and inspection fees.
Now the selectman want a moratorium on dispensaries, allowing only the two that have been licensed.
They also want to prevent any commercial growing in residential areas, certain commercially zoned areas and even areas that are zoned as farmland.
Outdoor grows need to be blocked from public view, surprise inspections, no odor allowed from indoor or outdoor grows , 500 foot buffer zone on all four sides of the property between any neighbors and exorbitant licensing and inspection fees.

We have a ruling here that you are allowed to conduct a "home business", "cottage industry" business from your home as long as it isnt retail that draws customers to the property. ..Guess what the new exception is...
They want to get what they can from the two dispensaries, protect the licenses from any competition and deny the "average Joe" a chance to participate in the industry.
Then the cops will turn around and use that 100K from the two dispensaries for enforcement of the towns rules .
Its a load of crap. Sixty percent of the voters here supported the vote for regulation/legalization here. The highest in the state. Yet the selectman are against it unless you represent big business that can promise them big money.

I see an attempt to limit the number of plants allowed for personal use , statewide in the future.
In a year or two you will see town officials whining about how 6-12 plants is too much. Wanting to change state law.
They will cry about the black market . What it will really represent is the officials trying to protect the licensees who have the dispensaries. Doing the dispensary's bidding to eliminate any competition or people who can grow for themselves. And as I said, the cops will be using the money they get from the dispensaries for enforcement.
Unfortunately, when talking to Steve Hoffman he said that license applicants should be ready to make these offers to the towns before they apply. So he is also just another part of the Massachusetts graft machine .
 

blackone

Active member
Veteran
Pack of seed - $50
Staying in business - $50.000
Keeping competitors out of business - priceless!
 

Muleskinner

Active member
Veteran
These "hosting agreements" - municipal extortion - were specifically banned in the referendum that was enacted into law by the voters. The state legislature and governor conspired to remove that language and make "hosting agreements" of 3% mandatory! Plus 3% local sales tax as well - so the town reaches into your bag of fresh herb and takes 6% of the buds out. With the state taking what...another 17% I think?

and as the Globe points out, many towns are ignoring the 6% too and requiring more - they need to be sued or shut down by the Attorney General. Seems like the stores will be mostly for upscale occasional smokers and tourists.
 

Capt.Ahab

Feeding the ducks with a bun.
Veteran
"Chump change" is what I heard when talking to one of the principals involved.
That tells how much they expect to make.
 
I know some of the people behind the big business in mass. Needless to say they talk a lot and there in no knowledge behind the chatter. Just because you put a lot of money behind things doesn’t mean it will work out. They are out spoken about everyone growing for themselves should be Illegal so they’ll get their karma in return.
 

Satyros

Member
Welp, that's where the Federalists came from. My people tried to boot 'em in 1791 but it didn't work out so well. Sorry about that.


The Bostonians did protest the 3% British tea tax, which was a completely symbolic gesture. The real tax protest was on southern land deeds, which were outrageous, much as this incoming cannabis scheme. Even in terms of taxes that is at least as much as a major grocery store license.



I am sure there is so much money floating around up there that no one cares if anyone cares. Not that there aren't a few million working poor and unemployed, just saying that no one sees you.
 
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