San Jose's medical marijuana regulations have whittled down the number of pot clubs from upward of 80 last year to just 21 by last count.
Of the dispensaries that applied with the city for zoning approval, 23 passed, two pulled their applications and a dozen are still pending, according to an update from the City Manager's Office. The remaining 21 will now have to pass the second part of the registration process: backgrounding and operational review.
Some of the pot clubs forced to closed teamed up with others that won city approval, pooling investments and resources.
For clubs that didn't even try to register, Code Enforcement has sent letters ordering them to shut down. Twenty-one of those locations have closed for business and the remaining face eviction from their landlords.
The city has cited landlords leasing property to the following dispensaries:
- Cookie Company, Inc.: $75,000
- Platinum Society: $50,000
- San Jose Organics: $37,500
- Herb's: $5,000
- Blue Sky: $35,000
The city is working with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office to make sure the noncompliant pot shops close in a timely manner.
A little birdie told me that employees of Magic Health on Monterey stabbed a customer seeking medicine last week. The scuttlebutt further alleges that violations of “regulations” (LOL) were numerous and egregious, along with the lack of compassionate care for their allegedly sick patients.
As usual, the City is unable to enforce their own rules, because the rules are too PC and there’s not enough employees to force compliance. When the cops try to enforce law then the activists (pronounced just like “criminals”) cry foul to the media so the PD will back off.
With the copious advertisements for weed in the Metro and obvious toking by their journalists, how could such relevant news escape publication? A few hundred legitimate cancer patients were used as propaganda to give hundreds of thousands of drug dealers and potheads in California a legal defense.
These dispensaries are no safer than a street corner drug house. Just like the hundreds of “massage parlors” operating as houses of prostitution… Both advertise heavily in this very publication.
Residents of SJ want their crime to have an air of legitimacy and continue to vote stupidly for such.
Reactions like your melodramatic cry of reefer madness are dying off as quickly as dinosaurs like yourself. Who would have thought we’ve learned nothing from alcohol prohibition?
You bring up some good points Jate, and what you’re describe is true of some of the clubs. Nothing more than money laundering fronts.
I got asked to work on the last referendum effort for the clubs, and basically the people I worked with convinced me that they were idiots.
* Don’t crowd city hall with green colored T-shirts
* Don’t accuse the council that these regulations are “racist”
* Don’t stand at the podium crying, in tears, that the big bad city council is taking your medicine (melodrama)
* Don’t say it’s a wonder drug that cures everything, it isn’t.
Their entire strategy was to basically shut down city hall and planning meeting by sheer numbers. When I told them (organizers) that putting everyone in tacky green pot leaf shirts would.
a. Show city council that it’s all pot club workers
b. The attire is disrespectful to the decorum of city hall
It was met with, “Well, we want to show solidarity”
After 2 weeks of meeting with these folks, doing my best to give advice that fell on deaf ears, I walked away, stopped returning phone calls, etc.
Not to say there isn’t some good clubs that are doing what they’re supposed to do, which is pay taxes and stay out of trouble.
Both Reed and Liccardo are a pair of arrogant , Elitists Knuckleheads . Neither of these 2 Clowns could see past their own Bias , to even truly consider the possabilities , both Pro and Con. This City’s favorite line is “We’re Broke , Pensions are killing us ” , and of course Neither of these 2 thins is true. The fact is many City’s have found ways to insure the legitimacy of this type of operation. Colorado has profited to the tune of Millions in monthly revenue. This City and its management are a disgrace
The bottom line is that marijuana is icky, smelly stuff.
If and when it is ever legalized, expect me to be the most abusive, obnoxious, unreasonable PC scold since Bella Abzug decided she was offended by testosterone.
“GET OFF MY LAWN!”
“YOU CAN’T SMOKE THAT CRAP HERE!”
“THIS IS A PUBLIC SPACE!”
“YOU’RE POISONING CHILDREN WITH SECOND HAND SMOKE!”
“YOU’RE CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING!”
“WHERE’S YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT?”
“I HAVE A RIGHT TO A SMOKE FREE ENVIRONMENT!”
Every stratagem that the anti-tobacco Stalinists have used on smokers applies to pot-smokers double. But that’s only fair because pot is twice as obnoxious, and pot smokers are arguably ten times as obnoxious.
SJOTB calling others obnoxious hahaha same old dip sh’s with no lives are permanently parked on these irrelevent blog boards……..but to each his own
> ……..but to each his own
So, I have your permission to live my life on a blog if I wish?
How could anyone ever think of you as narrow minded and intolerant?
Seems like there is one group that considers anything to do with marijuana to be criminal, and another group that is high. It is not that clean of a dichotomy. From a health standpoint, two legal substances, alcohol and tobacco, are worse health hazards with a higher cost to society (legitimate, non biased references are available) than illegal drugs. The only things the two legal substances have is a longer heritage of use within European cultures. Doesn’t make them any more sensible for society to allow or in any way inherently legal, just like marijuana is in any way inherently illegal. There is a fundamental question about what society should prohibit and why should things be prohibited. Society clearly has gotten that line wrong in the past: examples slavery, alcohol prohibition, marriage restrictions (race and gender based). What would to lead one to think that the current status is correct?
Having visited Colorado since legalization,I noticed that society there has not collapsed. Crime has not gone up. Productivity has not gone down. Pretty much the people who were going to use marijuana before continue to,just without fear of imprisonment. Why should tax dollars, and police enforcement time be wasted on prohibition of use of a relatively benign mildly psychoactive substance? Might as well apply a high sin tax to it like alcohol and tobacco products, along with income taxes on those profiting from the business. Law enforcement won’t win a war on drugs even though like any war, there are casualties.
It would be interesting to analyze demographics of current SJ dispensary customers. It wouldn’t be surprising to find that a significant number of customers are are grannies rather than gang-bangers. Grannies without cancer but wanting respite from some of the aches of age.
Am a bit disappointed with San Jose. The city should behave like a grown-up city. It is not a vibrant city. Vibrancy grows in an environment of open ideas. There is a correlation between the open mindedness that goes with dispensaries, and having a vibrant art culture. Compared to many other part of the bay area, San Jose is an art dead zone. It is likely that marijuana will be decriminalized in California within the next 2-5 years. Our city, of all places, should not be dragged into the 21st century kicking and screaming in resistance. We should be leading the way. Really would like Mayor Sam to examine his basis and bias against marijuana and shift to a common sense policy.
> The city should behave like a grown-up city. It is not a vibrant city. Vibrancy grows in an environment of open ideas. There is a correlation between the open mindedness that goes with dispensaries, and having a vibrant art culture.
Oh, stop it! This is just pap.
The issue with marijuana is: “is it either or both individually or socially debilitating or destructive.”
I am persuaded that it is.
It probably has not been studied to the extent that alcohol has been, but it it is clear and unambiguous that marijuana has adverse physiological and other consequences.
In a fully libertarian society, the damage to individuals caused by marijuana use might be acceptable. Anyone lying in the gutter as a consequence of irresponsible personal behavior should be allowed to remain the gutter. Your choice.
But, we are NOT a libertarian society. And people with damaged lives, and psyches, and bodies resulting from irresponsible behavior are ministered to, generally at significant public expense.
Even though people have free will, it takes rules and experience and “stimulus” for people to learn how to behave in ways that are not destructive to themselves and to others.
An important way to create adults with a disposition toward responsible behavior is to not present to children as role models adults who practice irresponsible behavior.
Don’t teach kids that pot is “cool adult behavior”.
How much money are we spending to teach kids NOT to smoke and NOT to drink and do drugs?
We’re seen this movie before.
“But, we are NOT a libertarian society.”
We really should be. I’m so tired of you babies complaining about the need to control my life just because you aren’t mature enough to control your own.