City Council Slashes Number Of Pot Clubs In SJ
https://www.ktvu.com/politics/27605837/detail.html
SAN JOSE: City Council Drastically Cuts Allowable Number Of Pot Dispensaries
The 110 medical marijuana dispensaries in San Jose will be reduced to only ten after a city council vote to impose new restrictions on pot clubs.
A vote that came in early Tuesday evening would limit the city to only ten dispensaries and only two such establishments in each of the city's eleven districts. The new regulation would also require that marijuana be grown on site at the dispensaries.
The city council voted on regulating the sale of medical marijuana after three hours of spirited discussion.
"My count that passes on a 6-5 vote, so the motion is approved," said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed.
Medmar is one of those 110 medical marijuana dispensaries in San Jose. Tuesday night, its operators were trying to position the collective as one of the only ten that will be allowed to be in business in the Bay Area’s largest city.
The cannabis club has 3,000 members and has been in existence for 13 months. It fulfills one of the stipulations of the regulation in that marijuana is grown on the premises.
"Hopefully, the city does what it says and they do go through a process where they do a process of elimination where you are the best of the best," said Nicole Bock of the CalMed Wellness Collective.
But other club operators weren't happy, arguing that ten dispensaries was not enough to serve a city with a population of one million residents.
"There may very well be lawsuits," said All-American Cannibas Club’s Dave Hodges. "Hopefully we can all avoid that."
San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore wanted a ban on all clubs citing seven violent robberies that have occurred at marijuana collectives.
"We still have some questions around legality under federal law and clearly it's against federal law," said Moore.
Mayor Reed said the intent was to serve only those who really need medicinal marijuana.
"If we're just providing medicinal marijuana to people who are seriously ill, ten will be plenty," explained Reed.
The ten cannabis clubs will be chosen through an extensive process. Permits will be issued on a first come first serve basis
To qualify, applicants must go through a 30-day trial period. Additionally, they must pass a criminal background check and pay more than $6,000 in fees.
Mayor Reed said he hopes to have the ten clubs chosen by the end of the year. The medical marijuana clubs will also have to pay the city a seven-percent sales tax.