[vta]

URL: https://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n380/a01.html
Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA)


But Reconsider; There Are Opportunities Here and, at the Very Least, a Remedy.

If you're angry at big government and in favor of lower taxes and fees, then you might not like the way Long Beach will clip the local medical marijuana dealers. But think again.

Even a paid representative of a collective, Carl Kemp, says the fees of $10,000 to $30,000 aren't really so bad. Of course we could argue that fat fees will work in favor of bigger operators and squeeze out smaller ones who feel they can't afford the fees. But in this business, small doesn't necessarily mean unprofitable.

We should define our terms here. Technically, these businesses are known as collectives; they can dispense marijuana with a doctor's recommendation but not sell it, and they mustn't make a profit.

That, as everybody knows, is a farce. Anybody can get a prescription on the slightest pretext, and operators simply pay themselves salaries so big they leave no room for profit. There is a lot of money in this business.

Long Beach's approach is to limit the number of collectives with buffer zones, banning them in residential areas and restricting them from locating within 1,000 feet of each other. This means getting rid of many of the 85 or so existing shops that are too close to each other.

The city will deal with that issue by granting permits by lottery. Those interested in the gamble will have to pay up front for a $14,742 permit application, and there will be no refunds for the losers. That doesn't seem fair.

But this isn't about fairness. City Council members who voted for the new rules offer no apology. They don't particularly want Long Beach to be known for its marijuana joints ( so to speak ).

Actually, there are opportunities here. One local entrepreneur envisions a new use for the warehouses on the Westside: Long Beach, home of indoor-grown, high-quality weed. ( One of the rules requires that local collectives can dispense only locally grown product. ) Soon we're bound to see self-respecting service-club types applying for permits.

This whole idea gives the creeps to many, but certainly not all, residents and police. But California voters have settled that matter by legalizing medical marijuana, and federal authorities are pretty much looking the other way about enforcing federal law, which is as pointlessly rigid as ever.

Once the proliferation becomes controlled, marijuana shops shouldn't be much of a problem. Some will become wellness centers, complete with spas and yoga mats. None should ever be as rowdy as the average honkytonk.

Overlooked in all the fussing about rules, permit prices and the lottery are two important facts. Marijuana has been California's biggest cash crop for a long time, which attests to its broad popularity, and, abuses notwithstanding, it happens to be very effective at relieving severe pain and nausea.

Still feeling creepy? Might as well get over it. For some at least, there's a remedy.

[Grendelkhan]

This is exactly one of the problems that I have with legalizing it. They (governments and local governments) are going to make it so that your going to have to have a ton of money in order to grow and you know that its going to be an annual thing. Understand that when it does go legal it will not be setup so that the average people can play in the game. It will be setup for the bigger business and will crush the little guys. Thanks again for all the post VTA.