Z will not impact the Shadow Ridge neighborhood, you might think. Well, think again. Look at the content of measure Z, but do not focus on where dispensaries cannot go, (600 feet from schools, parks, etc.) but where they can go, in your neighborhood, close to your home.

 

Of course dispensaries will be placed in the Business Park Specific Plan. If you focus on Specific Plan 14, 24, 21 and Shadow Ridge, you will find potentially acceptable development areas to place marijuana stores, attracting “buyers”, close to you.

Go to Google Earth, click on every school, park and church.  Then check out 600 feet and see that everywhere else could see a dispensary, depending on the zone.

If you feel that marijuana, weed, bong, and other cover names should be available, then vote for Measure BB, which makes it available in three delivery facilities, positioned by the city, with your input.  Otherwise vote no, no, no!

 

Vote NO ON Z

 

 

 

American Medical Association
The policy-making body voted to reaffirm its opposition to marijuana legalization…The AMA’s 527-member House of Delegates decided during its interim meeting in National Harbor, Md., to retain the long-standing position that “cannabis is a dangerous drug and as such is a public health concern.”

Veterans Association
• VA clinicians may only prescribe medications that have been approved by the FDA for medical use. At present most products containing Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD), or other cannabinoids are not approved for this purpose.
• The VA Healthcare system operates 170 Medical Centers and 1400 community-based clinics, the largest in the USA, serving 9 million veterans.

American Academy of Pediatrics
Is marijuana safe for teens? American Academy of Pediatrics says no.
• Teens who use marijuana regularly may develop serious mental health disorders, including addiction, depression and psychosis.
• Marijuana smoke is toxic, similar to secondhand tobacco smoke. The use of vaporizers or hookahs does not eliminate the toxic chemicals in marijuana smoke.

North Coastal Prevention Coalition

NCPC works in partnership with the San Diego County Marijuana Prevention Initiative to decrease the harm of marijuana use in our communities, especially among youth.

Members
American Heart Association (858-410-3850)
Carlsbad Police Department (760-931-2100)
City of Carlsbad (760-434-2820)
Carlsbad Unified School District (760-331-5000)
Cyber Education Consulting (760-440-8232)
County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, Alcohol and Drug Services (619-692-5727)
Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (760-471-4237)
Drug Enforcement Administration (858-616-4100)
The Fellowship Center (760-745-8478 / 888-533-9555)
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (858-564-0780)
McAlister Institute for Treatment and Education (760-721-2781)
Occupational Health Services (760-752-5300)
Oceanside Police Department (760-435-4900)
City of Oceanside (760-435-3065)
Oceanside Unified School District (760-966-4000)
San Dieguito Alliance for Drug Free Youth (858-755-6598)
San Marcos Prevention Coalition (619-392-6963)
Vista Community Clinic (760-631-5000)
Vista Sheriff’s Department (760-940-4551)
City of Vista (760-726-1340)
Vista Unified School District (760-726-2170)

Parents and VUSD leaders:
You are role models for your children, and actions speak louder than words. So if you vote yes on Z, what are you communicating to your kids.

AAA (Autoclub)

THC, marijuana’s active ingredient, disrupts key parts of the brain that influence the perception of time, concentration, movement, memory and coordination. Impairment can last up to five hours.  It takes 10-30 minutes after the last puff until peak effect occurs. Drivers are impaired 2-5 hours after ingesting marijuana.  THC can be detected two plus weeks after last use.

VOTE NO ON Z

 

Garry

 

 

Proponents of the marijuana initiative, Prop Z, keep quoting that 1007 residents were polled with 56% supporting dispensaries to make marijuana available to medicinal users. The polling was done in mid-2017. However, Measure Z in its current form was not public until after the poll. For the past few years there have been many iterations of Z and other citizens initiatives that went through some or all the initiative-creation process until legally qualified this year.

An overwhelming majority of those polled seemed to be unaware of city regulations that prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the city (66%).

 

What is missing from proponents use of the local poll results, are the qualifying factors that those polled demanded to get their support for medicinal sales.  The below are copies of the results.

 

 

Location must be 1000 feet from schools stated 84%. What would be their reaction if they knew Prop Z only calls for 600 feet? That is only a 10-15-minute walk.

Dispensaries must be 1000 feet from a treatment center indicated 75%. What if they knew proposition Z allows dispensaries within 600 feet?

“No residential zone” was required by 77%. What if they knew that commercial, industrial, business and mixed-use zones are next door or real close to their residential neighborhoods if Z passes?

Criminal background check necessary for 88%. What would they have said if they knew that felons, who committed the crime more than 4 years ago, could work in their local dispensary, even in their building?

What would be their reaction to allowing dispensaries in mixed use zones, with housing units just above the shop, on the commercial first floor?

What would be their reaction if they knew the city was going to propose BB allowing three delivery facilities to meet the medicinal needs?

What if they knew how limited the cities enforcement will be if Z passes? Very small fines are stated in the proposition and exempts compliance with city ordinances.

What if they knew that getting rid of a bad operator may take a citizen vote?

Did they know that there are no setback requirements for dispensaries  from sidewalks?

Once permitted, the city would have little control over the operation of the dispensary, per the measure.

Z does not have any testing facilities. BB does.  (See blog on state testing results below).

Applicants can get a license by meeting minimum requirements, ignoring other requirements defined in the Vistas General plan and city ordinances.

The poll was not taken with these important facts on the table, therefore is somewhat invalid. It was just a general “feeling” poll, mostly centered on compassion for medicinal users, many who are terminally ill or in great pain.

What if those polled knew that 20 % of marijuana products failed potency testing, especially edibles, which has seen a 33% rejection rate? (UT page A5 9/12/18) and with unacceptable levels of pesticides, solvents and bacteria, including salmonella. (State Bureau of Cannabis Control.). THC, the psychoactive chemical that causes the high, is not tested now for harmful species of mold and yeast.

The poll was taken (4/17) before the content of Z were known by the public . What if the poll asked the complete question and accurate question this way:

” Do you support 11 marijuana store fronts in your neighborhood, 600 feet away from you, 600 feet from schools, 600 feet from parks, 600 feet from churches, which can be manned by felons, can be in mixed use apartments, that create parking issues, with very little local enforcement control, that would be extremely difficult to force compliance and with unreliable testing results?  This is the real Z.

“or do you support three highly controlled delivery locations, determined through public meetings, for delivery to medically qualified users, with three local testing facilities to ensure high quality and safety”? This is BB.

How will you vote? It all depends on you for our future!

Garry

Proposition Z, which asks voters to approve 11 marijuana store front dispensaries has some surface appeal.  Medical marijuana may help some, and the voters wish to decide many issue through the ballot measure.  This blog is not about the merits or opposition to marijuana, but the folly and dangers of the measure itself. You can support marijuana, and still see  the strong reasons to reject Z, by voting for Measure BB.

Reason number one is that the proposition, drafted by the industry, for the industry, is on the ballot because paid signature-gathers, paid by those who stand to benefit financially, got enough signatures, not because our elected officials voted for it, after getting citizen input. The ballot was drafted by attorneys outside of San Diego County, but the financing party is unclear, which I find very troubling.The industry is now putting its own money toward paid canvassers, mailers, etc. This “pay to play” approach to ballot initiatives is not new, but it still should not be rewarded.

The second reason to vote against it is a store front marijuana dispensary could end up in your neighborhood.  This is a cash business due to federal regulations: do you want this big temptation for theft in your building? The measures articulates that it can be in commercial, industrial, business parks, and mixed use zones.  That pretty well covers every neighborhood with a commercial store. The limit would only be 600 feet from schools, parks, churches, day care and treatment facilities. Walk 15 minutes from any of these prohibited locations, within the zones mentioned, and see if you want the crowd that can be attracted coming and going (not to mention hanging around), seven day per week, 9 AM to 10 PM.  The distributors could also purchase existing day care facilities and churches and re-purpose them, thereby putting marijuana in your back yard. The proposition allows store front dispensaries in Mixed Use Zones (commercial on the first floor and residential on the upper floors). Do you wish to have marijuana distributed in your building? 

Another reason to reject Z is that, if passed, the controls will be in the proposition, not according to city ordinances, general plan, zoning limitations, etc. The proposition would set their own rules. Have you read all 25 pages?  It is on the city website, along with the City Attorney’s objective analysis.  The city would only be able to fine offenders $125, which is no incentive to follow rules, when you are making really big bucks: many will just pay the fine, and never comply with ordinances that the rest of us must follow.  Z calls for only one parking space for 1000 square feet in the proposition, but the city requires five.  It will create parking issues in your neighborhood; a real big problem already in many sections of Vista.  There would be no set backs from the street. Closing down a dispensary could almost require a citizen vote, not by law enforcement for code irregularities. Edibles could be sold, (marketed to kids?). Do you want your kids exposed to that temptation every day?

Many would feel compassion for those who testify to getting relief from marijuana. The city proposition, BB, would allow three delivery services to accommodate those who have a medically approved prescription.  Prop BB would also approve testing facilities, which would protect users from incorrect doses. Prop AA is a city measure to tax the use,  if the state comes down with future mandates. Vote yes on these two measures if you support medicinal marijuana use but do not want Z.

The proponents cite the past cost of enforcement to close illegal dispensaries. Who really believes illegal dispensaries will go away?  Who does not believes that law enforcement costs will go up if your city becomes a magnet from all over San Diego and Orange Counties, by those seeking marijuana?  Can recreational sales in the proposed dispensaries be far behind?  Then what will be the impact on our housing values, retaining or attracting businesses and creating new jobs?  Go find those neighborhoods in SD County impacted by store front dispensaries in their back yards and see for yourself.

We should only approve a bond that is crafted by lawmakers or citizen committees–not by groups that would most benefit from it.  If approved the marijuana industry would be setting the rules. 

Vote no on Z