One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Two potential medical cannabis collectives received key approvals in early December, putting them in the position of becoming the first three legally recognized dispensaries in San Diego. These two, o
wo potential medical cannabis collectives received key approvals in early December, putting them in the position of becoming the first three legally recognized dispensaries in San Diego. These two, one being located in Clairemont, the other near Sports Arena, join a location in Otay Mesa that was approved in October. With this promising news of safe, legal access comes disheartening reality. These recent approvals, unfortunately, may dash the hopes of other groups who wish to open and operate their own collectives. You see, city regulations cap the number of collectives to only four per district, and each of these approved locations could fill spots in districts that are overflowing with qualified applicants. The proposed Clairemont collective is located in district six, where eight others have applications pending. The location near Sports Arena is in district two, where 18 of the 38 proposed collectives are located.
A location proposed on Hancock, in the Midway District could stymie the plans of five hopeful dispensary operators, because city regulations forbid the operating of a dispensary within 1,000 feet of another.
While some medical cannabis advocates found hope in the ruling, others were wisely skeptical, fearing that this one step forward may actually turn out to be two steps back. And who could blame them? It has been 18 years since California voters instituted the legality of medical cannabis, and every since then the powers that be in San Diego have fought tooth and nail every step of the way, to deny the rights of patients and the will of the people.
As for the opponents of medical cannabis, the usual suspects were predictably vocal in their disdain for all things resembling safe access. Out front, as per usual, was Scott Chipman, who once again spouted his tiresome and redundant rhetoric consisting of false claims that only 20-year-old skaters patronize cannabis collectives, and that patients actually fake ailments to get their hands on that sweet, sweet cannabis.
Other concerned parties assert that the city has mishandled the process, and state legitimate concerns of strategic manipulation and clerical mistakes that have allowed some applicants to receive favorable treatment, thus increasing the likelihood of obtaining one of the very few “Golden Tickets” that will pave the way to greener pastures, in the form an approved, licensed and legal store front collective. City officials maintain that, “Some applications had some issues that other applications didn’t.” (How very bureaucratic of them). But, it is disheartening to know that we are ruled by somewhat arbitrary law, at the expense of compassion.
