What about medicinal only?
Many opponents of regulated cannabis activity in our town have stated that the convincing win of Proposition 64 in Benicia was not an indication that the community actually wants adult use sales here. Some have even stated they voted for legalization but don’t want it sold here. Some of these folks acknowledged the medicinal efficacy of cannabis, but don’t want Proposition 215 patients like myself to buy it here either. Many of the opponents of regulated activity have railed against cannabis sales on First Street specifically, citing a loss of small-town charm. It is interesting to note that some of these folks are also advocates of new housing development. I do not support any new housing projects, now or ever.
Some have referenced the Vallejo action to limit cannabis sales to medicinal only pending a vote in November to assess community appetite for adult use sales.
I support a motion to limit local cannabis sales to medicinal only pending a vote in November on adult use sales. While we’re voting on that issue, we can also put an end to the First Street debate by proposing a Downtown Mixed Use Master Plan amendment to permit cannabis activity. I don’t expect any of the anti-cannabis assembly to say a word about medicinal only pending a vote, or the First Street issue because when a real vote happens on these two points, the odds are they will lose, again.
Stan Golovich,
Benicia
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Stan it appears you are talking about a council vote to limit sales to only medicinal cannabis until a November ballot issue you are talking about. I see no activity on that ballot issue. How many signatures do you have. Stan I do think you will get support for medicinal only but not on First Street. I do not believe you will get the votes to amend the mixed use plan. Both appear to be council votes. The council voted 4/0 on no First Street recreational cannabis sales. Councilmember Schwartzman was recused and a 2/2 vote is a no vote. I believe that also will apply to your amendment. The City Attorney could tell us that. So it appears unless you get that ballot issue to permit Recreational sales in Benicia along with an amendment and it passes nothing is changing. Also the amendment change it appears will go to the Planning Commission first. If it loses there it will need an appeal to go the council where I think it would lose again. It appears Stan you are fighting an up hill battle and could lose on all and then your side is the big loser. Your ballot issue appears to be on two issues. Recreational cannabis and an amended for mixed use on First Street. Two separate issues. One could pass and one could lose. It will be very interesting.
All major polls indicate a growing acceptance across the nation for regulated medicinal access. Here is one with several surveys on one page that was taken last April https://tinyurl.com/m2t3auv indicating a whopping ninety-four percent approval of medicinal cannabis nationwide.
The most recent Gallup poll this past October indicated complete legalization support at sixty-four percent nationwide. The next one will likely be in the seventies. People across the nation are wising up to the lies about cannabis. Some pols in this city will never wise up and will go down in flames if they dare try to win re-election or office with persistent disapproval of regulated cannabis activity in our little town.
As to you “for the money” nags, there will be tons of it pouring into Benicia to buy cannabis. In fact, the entire Vallejo consumer community will shift to purchasing in our town, because Vallejo has a voter-imposed ten percent local tax on top of sales and excise taxes. We won’t have an added tax until we vote for it in November. Berkeley is lowering their added tax to stay competitive with El Cerrito and Oakland.
I can live with “M” sales only at the point of sale, pending a vote in November on “A” activity, just like Vallejo is doing. Actually, if we open up both “M” and “A” at the same time, consumers from Vallejo and elsewhere would double or triple. We are assured traffic and parking challenges with just “M” only, so it would be a good idea to not burden the Police Department with more traffic and parking issues until they increase staffing to handle the growing volume of visitors to our charming little town. Some anti-cannabis snarks say nobody is going to hang around and shop downtown or anywhere else after they buy cannabis. They will be proven wrong and condemned to live in a cave for the rest of their lives.
In conclusion, tens of thousands of consumers from Vallejo, up-county, and the East Bay will rush Benicia with pockets full of cash to leave here. It’s that simple. The downtown restaurants should invest in velvet rope and stanchions to maintain crowds on the sidewalks.
Unless Stan you can change the makeup 0f he council you are dead in the water. There willotwo seats open in November election. Trying to defeat one or two incumbent is very difficult. The mood of the anti cannabis crowd is far greater than your pro cannabis crowd in Benicia. You are up against it Stan.
We are going to need more than two shops if Vallejo is going to start shopping here to save the 10% on taxes.