DISPENSARIES THREATEN QUALITY OF LIFE

The recent exponential proliferation of medical marijuana
dispensaries, or MMDs, in Fort Collins (98 unregulated dispensaries,
at last count) threatens to undermine the quality of life for all of
Fort Collins' residents, especially children and young adults.

I use as my point of reference the "quality of life" issue because
Mayor Doug Hutchinson and City Manager Darin Atteberry each addressed
it repeatedly in their January 2010 State of the City address.

Both described Fort Collins' quality of life as "second-to-none."
Also, Atteberry recalled that in 2006 Money Magazine "... declared
Fort Collins the No. 1 best place to live in America." And Mayor
Hutchinson said: "... we're passionate about creating a vibrant,
world-class community."

If this is a primary commitment of the mayor and city manager, my
question to them, to every City Council member and to you, the
residents of Fort Collins, is this: In your heart-of-hearts, do you
honestly believe that having 98 unregulated MMDs and a burgeoning
marijuana industry in Fort Collins contributes in a positive way to
creating "... a vibrant, world class community"?

Can you in conscience look your own children and grandchildren in the
eye and say to them: "In 2010, we had the opportunity to carefully
evaluate what was best for you and this community, and we decided that
it was in your best interest, and in the best interest of the city,
for us to allow this current situation with the medical marijuana
industry to continue as it is."

And further: "We honestly believe that there is absolutely no evidence
that the usage of marijuana by some adults for so-called medicinal
purposes has any direct relationship to your own, your friends' or
adults' increased usage for recreational purposes."

Also: "We also believe in our heart-of-hearts
that it is more important to promote a
'live-and-let-live' philosophy in Fort Collins
than it is to place reasonable regulations and
limits on the number and business practices of
so-called MMDs. We honestly believe it genuinely
contributes to the positive quality of life of
Fort Collins' residents that marijuana grows
should continue to be allowed in community
neighborhoods, that MMDs should be allowed to
operate 24 hours a day, without restriction, that
those who operate MMDs should continue to be
subject to no background checks whatsoever, that
they should be allowed to operate right next to
public schools, as they do in neighboring
Loveland, and that the marijuana industry as a
whole should be left to regulate itself.

After all, they certainly have the best interest of our children and
grandchildren, and our overall quality of life at heart."

If you can look your children and grandchildren in the eye and in
conscience say this, then you should do nothing and the situation with
the wildly proliferating medical marijuana industry may remain as it
is: an unregulated, Wild West situation in which we are already seeing
significant increases in major crime in Fort Collins and will
inevitably see concomitant increases in marijuana usage among young
people and adults for recreational purposes.

If you can't say this to your children and grandchildren, I urge you
to call or e-mail City Council members and attend the upcoming City
Council meetings at 6 p.m. Tuesday and March 16 at which the City
Council will consider enacting necessary limits and regulations on
MMDs.

In my view, the quality of life of Fort Collins desperately depends on
it.