Antioch council bans medical marijuana shops

By James Ott

Antioch City Council voted to permanently ban medical marijuana facilities from the city after saying there are continuing concerns over problems with regulation and possible increases in crime.

The move makes permanent a temporary ban that had passed in April 2011 citing similar concerns.

At Tuesday’s meeting council members said that they don’t have necessarily have a problem with marijuana as a medicine but they believe it should be dispensed only by medical facilities and pharmacies.

“I don’t have a horse in this race,” said Agopian. “If doctors decide that they want to give to their patients a particular type of medicine that they need then I want doctors to be able to do that. [But] they can do it through… pharmacies.”

City Attorney Tracy Nerland pointed out that the ban would do just that – only prevent marijuana dispensaries and cooperatives from selling and growing marijuana. Patients would still be able to get marijuana for medicinal purposes from licensed medical facilities such as clinics, health care facilities and residential care facilities.

Agopian also said that he would like to see research done on the medical benefits of cannabis.

There are in fact, many published studies that show that marijuana – particularly through the compound THC – has produced medical benefits to patients suffering from a variety of diseases including chronic pain, ALS, Alzheimer’s, cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS , and multiple sclerosis. It has also been shown to be measurably safer than most other prescription drugs.

It was on the strength of such studies that California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use through the “Passionate Use Act” or Prop 215 in 1996.

After the passage of Senate Bill 420, the state allowed patients to get a medical marijuana card through their doctor and made legal the medical marijuana dispensaries that Antioch is currently banning.

Community Development Director Tina Wehrmeister said that the city is in a particularly precarious situation because while California has legalized medical cannabis – the federal government still classifies marijuana as a schedule one drug with no medicinal benefits.

“U.S. attorneys have stated that California cities and their officials face possible criminal prosecution for enabling medical marijuana facilities to operate in violation of federal law,” said Wehrmeister.

Both council member Mary Rocha and Mayor Wade Harper – who is a former Drug Abuse Resistance Education, (D.A.R.E.), instructor – said that they are concerned that loose regulations on medical marijuana facilities might allow cannabis to get in the hands of those who don’t need it, particularly among the youth where it is a popular recreational drug.

Two members of the community spoke up against the ban including mixed martial artist Dan Black and Ed Breslin of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Cannabis Division that represents workers in the medical marijuana industry.

Both Black and Breslin asked the city to do more research and consider alternatives before banning dispensaries outright. They cited the large revenue the city might generate from such businesses.

According to the New York Times, California’s medical marijuana industry pumped about $2 billion into the state economy in 2008 and brought in $100 million in sales tax that same year.

Council member Tony Tiscareno – who was the only one to vote against the ban – agreed somewhat, saying that he wanted to hear more before he ruled out a potential large revenue source for struggling Antioch.

Mayor Wade Harper disagreed saying he had a moral problem with making money from the medical dispensaries.

“I’m one who believes that all money isn’t good money,” he said.

The final vote was four to one in favor of the ban.


12 Comments to “Antioch council bans medical marijuana shops”

  1. bobby day says:

    delay tactics. dumb ones! these tactics follow the usual pattern “we dont know enough “and its “against our principles”. lol Never in the history of the world has a state employee been arrested over following a marijuana related state law , another runaround!

  2. Michael Ferreira says:

    I remember the same fear when the methadone clinic was coming to Sunset Lane. Protests, etc. then it came, there have been little issue with it and all the problems that everybody thought would happen. . didn’t. Now there may be a revenue source for the struggling city and the council is taking a morality stand while the schools are being funded by gambling proceeds (Lottery) and the 19th Hole card room. We have to admit there is a certain hypocrisy going on here.

  3. Loc Da Smoke says:

    The patients of Antioch need to challenge the ban like the patients did in LA. The judge in that case ruled that banning dispensaries is illegal because they are legal under state law and that the patients need a safe place to get their medicine.

  4. Michael Moore says:

    Where are the people of Antioch? This is obviously going AGAINST the current, and the direction all of the world is moving on this issue. All one needs to do is look at Colorado and Washinton, and Oregon. How about the MANY other states, within which the citizens have all voted FOR the legalization of Cannabis. These people on the City Couincil have personal investments, and personal agendas that OBVIOUSLY don’t serve the public, for whom they were hired to serve. FIRE THEIR ASSES!!!! It’s really that simple, folks. They work for YOU!! YOU pay their salaries!!! If they don’t do what the majority wants them to do,….BE RID OF THEM!!

  5. Michael Moore says:

    These dispensaries ARE pharmacies! They cater to ONE specific pharmacopia. People go in and purchase there medicine, under VERY strict security controls,… and they even use ATM cards, and VISA’s,…just like other real pharmacies!
    That the members of the City Council don’t know this, enforces the fact that they PERSONALLY have never been to one of the dispensaries. Once again,..those that have no knowledge, and can’t do,…teach the rest how. Just GREAT! No wonder society takes 2 steps forward then, 1 step back. Guess which way the City Council is moving!

  6. G says:

    BAN THE “HEAD SHOPS” AND LIQUOR STORES ALSO PLEASE. THIS WILL GREATLY HELP REDUCE CRIME. ESPECIALLY ON CONTRA LOMA BLVD. THESE ARE GOOD PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND DESERVE BETTER. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS. IF PEOPLE WANT TO BUY LIQUOR THEY CAN GO TO SAFEWAY. THESE MINI LIQUOR STORES ARE SURROUNDED BY THUGS AT NIGHT WHO LOITER AND BEG FOR MONEY. MOST ARE HIGH.

  7. G says:

    I DONT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MARIJUANA. JUST LEAGALIZE IT AND BE DONE WITH IT. TAX THE H— OUT OF IT AND PUT NEEDED $$ IN THE COFFERS.

  8. G says:

    I DONT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MARIJUANA. JUST LEAGALIZE IT AND BE DONE WITH IT. TAX THE H— OUT OF IT AND PUT NEEDED $$ IN THE COFFERS.

  9. […] Antioch council bans medical marijuana shops […]

  10. Antioch Council Blows says:

    Antioch Council, you guys are real idiots. keep trying to go against the flow and end up like Fresno eating dollars instead of earning them. Wade Harper…you are retarded ALL MONEY IS GOOD MONEY ESPECIALLY FOR OUR CITY. Let us stoners chill and do our thing we really don’t f— with people, keep the large scale commercial grows out, and focus on the goddamn meth, pill, violence, & homeless problems instead. I will now be leaving my hometown I have lived and loved my entire life to go somewhere cannabis friendly. Thanks a–h—s!

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