Pot Club In My Neighborhood?


Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Bay Guardian

I wanted to get your opinions on this issue.

I was walking home from the beach the other day and just a block away from my apartment found a medical marijuana establishment moving in what used to be a chiropractic office. There were signs all over the windows explaining the need for this business in the area and also a public hearing notice for March 18th at City Hall.

While I was reading the signage, the owner came out and talked to me. She explained that she was a breast cancer survivor and that marijuana helped her through that trying time. She also explained that there are many other patients in my area that have a need for this establishment.

According to her our police chief is in agreement and actually thinks that it should be legalized and taxed in order to gain much needed revenue for the city. A bill has just passed which allows for this to take place.

While I have nothing against marijuana and legalizing it, I do have some qualms about the dispensary being a block away. While the owner insists that there will be heavy security in place, I still do think that there is a strong possibility of increased crime in the area. We already have our fair share of gang activity out here so I am really on the fence about this situation.

There is strong opposition to this by businesses in the area as well.

I guess I just would like all of your opinions on this and would like to know would you be in favor of a medical marijuana dispensary moving into your neighborhood?

Comments

very well captured. i din know abt this quality of marijuana...gr8 post
Truth Ferret said…
Check out my blog about Mary Jane and her decietful ways. Funny you should have written this blog so soon to the one I did.
Ann said…
They can call it medicinal but it still is what it is. There's always going to be the ones that abuse it, just like with any other drug. As for wanting one in my neighborhood. No I don't think I would. I would think that it would attract every wacko out there, not only the ones trying to con their way through being sick but the ones who want to break in and steal it
Margie and Edna said…
Margie: My nephew has MS so he used pot until he became totally disabled. I don't have a problem with it but I'm not sure I'd want the business in my neighborhood. Maybe they could locate closer to a police station.
Diane AZ said…
I think I would be nervous if a marijuana dispensary was about to open near my home. Like you, I would want to do some research and learn about other peoples experiences with these places.
AVCr8teur said…
Initially, I thought you found pot plants growing in Golden Gate Park until I saw the photo credit. These clubs seem to be sprouting up in various communities. I don't know how they decide where it should be opened. I agree with you that I don't want one in the neighborhood although if it really helps eases people's physical ailments I'm for it, but not if it only attracts drug addicts.
Anonymous said…
We have drug stores that are easy targets for robberies, so can you imagine the crime rate in an area with pot as the drug in the store?

There are many other medicines that can be used in the place of pot; but some people will use any excuse to have pot legally. Truth Ferret
Cruise Addict said…
If they would finally legalize it and tax it, then many of the gangs would actually become smaller and smaller. Not only would this become a great revenue source for law enforcement, most of the beds in prison are filled with people who have been incarcerated because of selling pot.

The old thought that pot is a "gateway" drug is so stupid. If people want to do hard drugs, or any drug and abuse it, they will. It isn't because pot got them on the road for abusing drugs.

What's is bad is the not in my backyard mentality also. If they were many of these establishments then people would not make a big deal out of it and the hype that goes with it.

I don't smoke pot and have no want to. But if it will diminish crime and bring in revenue to a cash strapped society, then it is time we make the logical choice and make it legal.
Verna Luga said…
Indeed this is a marijuana ... great shot!

Anything Davao
Anonymous said…
I've visited the majority of pot clubs in SF, and crime has NEVER been a problem at any of them. It depends more on the AREA you live in than if a pot club is there. The sunset shouldn't be a problem.

As someone else said, it will actually pay to have MORE cops on duty and increased revenue to make the area look better to. You can say that's theory, but then so is the 'crime will go up' side...

But beyond that, what about disabled people who live in the sunset and depend on pot over pills? I say if there's enough of them that the club is able tmake profit, then maybe it IS needed, no?
Anonymous said…
I went to my first club last week in SJ. It was like going to the pharmacy in WalGreens . Clean cut nice ,normal people .
Way better than buying from Paco on the street corner .My money stayed in the US!
Kass said…
I would be nervous if one of these suddenly opened in my neighborhood. If there could be one on every street corned opening at the same time, I would be less nervous. I don't know if making MJ legal everywhere will decrease the crime rate. Unfortunately, we can't know some things until a lot of time has passed and a lot of mistakes have been made.
Janiss said…
Oh, we are dealing with this issue right now in Los Angeles! Our city screwed up in legislating these places and as a result the area I live in - a very small section of NE LA - has like 14 pot dispensaries! It's stupid ridiculous and YES, our crime rate has gone up over the past year. Just recently our post office was robbed. I keep hearing about more pedestrian robberies, break-ins, etc. And this is an area that had relatively little going on not that long ago.

That said, I think pot SHOULD be legalized and that dispensaries can be a good thing for people who really need them. But clearly where I live, they have been abused and they are attracting an element that is making my town less of a desirable place to live. My neighborhood is about big enough for ONE dispensary, not the plethora that has sprung up.

So depending on a lot of other things going on in your own neighborhood, this new pot dispensary could be a good or a bad thing. It sounds to me like the owner has her heart in the right place, and I know that up north, you guys have a better handle on regulating these dispensaries (if you have any questions about that, you should look into the laws in your city). If it's as it seems to have been represented to you, there shouldn't be any relationship between gang activity and this establishment. But I don't blame you for being uncomfortable.
Autumn Belle said…
I don't want it near my neighbourhood. If the drug is necessary can dispense from a govt clinic if it is needed as medication.
Unknown said…
Actually marajuana works amazingly well as an anti-nausea, which is important for cancer patients on chemo and it increases appetite which is also helpful for them. It has less dangerous side effects that many of the anti-nausea drugs on the market (I'm thinking of the one I used after surgery that included permanent ticks and twitches amongst other scary things).

Perscription drug abuse is a huge problem, not just pot, but doctor prescribed RX medicines that have FDA approval. So dopers use that as well.

I'm not sure how I feel about the special centers. I think it should be approved as a drug and dispensed at a pharmacy with those types of controls and should be universal and not located to small areas (where you might have undesireables comeing into the neighborhood because of it.

It is a complicated issue. Best of luck.

Diane
VanillaSeven said…
As long they are distributed in controlled environment. I think its ok. Here in Singapore, teens sniffing glue to get high. The most important is the education at home itself.
ian said…
i think it will still be a while before MJ is legalized in the Philippines. we have a gamut of more pressing concerns. the last thing we need is a distraction from doing what is more important and relevant...
~✽Mumsy✽~ said…
I would feel nervous simply because I have small children, so I would prefer the business to be at some where else!
I think there is a place for it within the medical world. I would not want a centre on my doorstep. It should be housed in a drug unit that is already established and accepted. That lady needs to be careful on the way home too. I am the wife of a Pharmacist and have been pounced on for drugs when I walked home. They watch, they know and they want regardless.
Joanne Olivieri said…
I want to thank each and everyone of you for your thoughts, comments and opinions on this issue. Each of you helped with my making an informed decision. There will be a public hearing on this situation at city hall on March 18th so I will update all of you on the outcome. There is heavy opposition to this club so I doubt it will pass.

Thanks again to all of you for reading and commenting here.
Paul said…
Hello Poetic Shutterbug
I am Paul. I am one of the partners of the Bay Area Compassion Health Center. Please come by and talk. Some of the original comments are a little inaccurate. Chief Gascone DID say that he thinks that Marijuana should be legalized and taxed. He also said that Marijuana is NOT medicine.
Our project is NOT a pot club. No smoking inside or around the premises. WE are not allowing anyone under 21 inside unless accompanied by an adult (parent/guardian). This is about the medicine. We are working on strains with less THC and higher CBD levels. I personally do not smoke cannabis but apply a topical remedy for chronic pain.
Please feel free to stop by or email me to make arrangements to meet. Paul@Bachcares.com
Joanne Olivieri said…
Thank you Paul for your comment and information. I will stop by soon.
Anti Aging said…
I agree with what ManOverBoard.com said...That's fine.
Oh I would not for everybody's sake allow that to happen. Maybe you can start another petition against having the medical marijuana in your neighborhood. I hope everything will be OK.
xoxo
RNSANE said…
As a nurse, I do believe that marijuana can have some use for cancer patients. I've not smoked it and don't know if I would....thankfully, I've not had cancer. I wouldn't want a dispensary next to my home, though. I like the suggestion of having them next to a police station!!!

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