I'm a liberal pagan living in West, Texas. Yes. That West, Texas.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

POT FARMS IN OAKLAND


07-20) 23:40 PDT OAKLAND -- Oakland's City Council late Tuesday adopted regulations permitting industrial-scale marijuana farms, a plan that some small farmers argued would squeeze them out of the industry they helped to build.

To address concerns from smaller farmers, the council pledged to create regulations on regulating small- and medium-size marijuana farms this year. Council members and proponents of marijuana cultivation regulation viewed the proposal as smart public policy: It would generate revenue, ensure that fire and building codes are enforced, keep neighborhoods safe from robberies, and further position Oakland as the center of the state's cannabis economy.

"It's really important for Oakland to be a vital part of that growth and development for licensed facilities," said Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan.

But many of the folks on the front lines of the young industry say it will change the culture of what they've built.

They say industrial farms will turn a grassroots economy into a corporate one, driving down costs but also eroding the quality of the marijuana, which state voters defined in 1996 as medicine.

The most influential critic was Steve DeAngelo, owner of Oakland's Harborside Health Center, the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the nation.

His dispensary buys from some 500 different growers, meaning Harborside offers about 100 varieties at any time. Permitting only industrial operations would reduce variety, he said.

"Government should not choose the winners and losers but create a level playing field," he said. "Some people might prefer mass production, assembly-line cannabis that costs less. Others might prefer cannabis grown by a master gardener in a smaller plot.

"Let the market sort it out," he said.

The regulations will award permits to four indoor marijuana farms. There will be no size limit, but there have been proposals for farms as large as 100,000 square feet - about the size of two football fields.

DeAngelo said he would prefer farms of various sizes.

The regulations will require applicants to have a minimum of $3 million worth of insurance, hire security and pay a $211,000 annual permit fee.

The city will be begin to issue permits in January and will allow the industrial farms to sell only to medical cannabis dispensaries.

But if state voters pass Prop. 19, a November initiative that would legalize recreational use of marijuana, proponents believe the city would be well situated for the booming industry.

By regulating certain growers, Oakland also plans to crack down on illegal grows, said Arturo Sanchez, an assistant to the city administrator.

His comments immediately prompted hissing and booing in the crowd.

Oakland has long been pushing the boundaries of marijuana legalization.

In 2004, voters passed Measure Z, declaring marijuana a low concern for law enforcement. In 2009, voters passed Measure F to tax medical cannabis at 1.8 percent.

The taxation, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, was a step toward legalization.

(CALIFORNIA ...................OR BUST.)

18 comments:

Jan said...

Should I plant my seed now or wait a while? Would you ask the goddess. I need to know.

Jan said...

That should be seeds, of course. Many seeds.

sageweb said...

I cant wait till it becomes legal for everyone in california..

jadedj said...

Holy Shit...McCanabis? Weed reduced to a common denominator? Say it ain't so.

Heff said...

Just what you Dems want - CONSTANTLY STONED VOTERS & TAXPAYERS, lol !!!

Nit Wit said...

The big pot factory people are trying to equate this to beer or wine production where you have the places making stuff like Thunderbird or the cheapest beers and then you have the small places such as micro breweries and fine wine vintners who make the real quality products.

I can't wait for the fight with insurance companies to cover the prescription costs.

Or when it's legal, go to the mall and try the blend of the day at the high class pot store.

Boy will the booze lobby be pissed.

yellowdoggranny said...

you know they're fixing to go legal and then cut out all the farmers who are growing it now..bastids.
plant now jan..plant now.
heff? fuckoff!
If I want to hear smart ass remarks from a republican I'll dig up Reagan.
Nitty:i don't trust them any further than I can throw them..they're up to no good..I can tell.

Charlene said...

So we home gardners cannot grow our own in Oakland. Sigh.

Intense Guy said...

WTF??!? "pay a $211,000 annual permit fee" That's one hell of a lot of taxes...

yellowdoggranny said...

holy shit..do you know how much money there is to be made in marijuana Karl? $211,00 might be hard to come up with the first pop..but after that? i'ts chicen feed..
Go Oakland...maybe it will open the doors to legalization and then everyone can get in the game.

Shrinky said...

Trust the government to be in for a slice of the action!

texlahoma said...

I wish they were having that debate here. We're still in the dark ages compared to CA. No big surprise though, OK was the last state to legalize tattoos! I think it's great that marijuana is finally being recognized as the multi-billion dollar industry that it really is.

Daisy Deadhead said...

FREE THE WEED!

Pom said...

"If I want to hear smart ass remarks from a republican I'll dig up Reagan."

LMAO - that's my favorite quote of the day!

I don't celebrate the corporatization of cannabis but I do look forward to the legalization of it. I'd much rather people be able to grow it themselves (if they choose to) and share it with neighbors like they would any other produce they grow in their gardens. That's a lovely image in my mind!

yellowdoggranny said...

i just want it to be legal..we'd empty out all the jails of those bullshit charges on possession of marijuana.

billy pilgrim said...

tax tax tax, everyone wants to tax pot.

why can't we just grow our own?

Heff said...

Yeah, I like the "dig up Reagan" remark too, lol !

TheWayfarer said...

Fkn AWESOME:

"Gath mah mothafkn' WEED! Goth mah $35 ta go to da mothafkn thwap-meet!"

If any of ya live out there, burn one for me.