SEEKING COUNCIL ON CANNABIS

Three of Five City Council Members Convey Their Thoughts on a
Martinez Medical Cannabis Dispensary

Last week, the Gazette sent out a questionnaire to the Martinez City
Council members requesting their individual thoughts on the medical
cannabis dispensary issue. We asked five questions and received a
complete response from Council member Janet Kennedy. Mayor Rob
Schroder opted out of any in-depth response, likening the request to
asking a judge to comment on a case prior to a trial. Council member
Mark Ross submitted a brief response via his Blackberry. Council
member Mike Menesini indicated he was out of the office until Monday
evening, past our deadline. We received no response to our inquiry
from Council member Lara DeLaney. Below are the questions we asked
and the responses we received from three Council members.

JANET KENNEDY

Gazette: Some residents have voiced they are proponents of medical
cannabis, but that dispensaries do not belong in Martinez. What do
you say to these folks?

Kennedy: Certainly they are entitled to their opinion and I would ask
them why they were or were not in favor of facilities in Martinez. It
sounds like the NIMBY (not in my backyard) thinking that usually
surrounds affordable housing.

Gazette: Does the fact that a Martinez MCD would be the only one in
central and eastern Contra Costa County make you inclined to join
your MCD-banning neighbors or enthusiastic about the likely boom in
business as area patients patronize Martinez rather than MCDs located
in Oakland, Berkeley or San Francisco?

Kennedy: If a facility in Martinez truly was the only one in the area
then the operators/owners of that facility would certainly be the
ones to reap the benefits. My concerns if that were the case would be
security-not only at the site but after customers left the facility,
traffic, impact on the residents, business owners, and public safety.
All the emphasis seems to have been placed on the facility rather
than the impacts to anyone outside the facility. Once someone leaves
the dispensary the public safety issues become the burden of the City.

Gazette: This past week, the owner of CK motors discussed with the
Gazette a vision to create a City-run dispensary, where all profits
go into City coffers or enterprise fund, working similar to the water
fund. In your mind, is this a viable idea?

Kennedy: I made a joke a while back that the police department should
operate the dispensary and that would reduce the issues around crime
and appropriate use of marijuana by the customers. Seriously
speaking, the City does not want to take on that kind of liability,
which in my mind far outweighs the benefits.

Gazette: If a dispensary is established, would you be in favor of
putting a measure on the ballot similar to Oakland's 2009 Measure F?

Kennedy: I would have to make that determination after dispensaries
were established to see the real impact to Martinez.

Gazette: Do you agree with the Planning Commission that a downtown
dispensary should be off the table entirely, as some merchants would
welcome the added, much-needed foot traffic?

Kennedy: Our current ordinance has a 1,000-foot boundary and until
that is changed I don't believe a downtown dispensary would qualify.
I am sure that there are as many merchants that would not to see a
dispensary in the downtown as there are those that might.

ROB SCHRODER

Because this issue will be before the council on Wednesday it is not
proper for me to speak to the issue advocating or opposing prior to
the public hearing and public input. It is improper for me to take a
position on one side or the other at this time. It is like a judge
deciding a case prior to the trial.

As I said during the campaign, I wish he Federal government would
bite the bullet and regulate and dispense medical cannabis like every
other pharmaceutical. Your doctor writes a prescription for the
medication with dosing instructions, you take the prescription to
your local pharmacy and they fill it. Unfortunately they are not
dealing with the issue.

I also personally understand the need for the sick to have easy
access to their medicine to relieve pain and other symptoms of
disease. There is nothing worse than looking into the eyes someone
suffering when their medicine is not available.

For the last several weeks I have been studying the issue, reading
the ordinance, emails and the minutes of the Planning Commission
meeting. I have also toured two medical cannabis facilities in the
East Bay. I am keeping an open mind and in the end will do what I
believe is best for the Martinez Community.

MARK ROSS

I will listen to the subcommitte's recommendations, staff, and most
importantly the public. I'm concerned about the message we are
sending to our youth. I would tell them that if someone says, "Yes,
but you'll make a lot of money!" you should be wary. And I'm wary of
this proposition, well meaning and compassionate as some elements are
of this proposal.