Smoke has played a prominent role in the succession of humankind, from rudimentary heating and cooking fires to elaborately staged ceremonies featuring smoke from incense burners, or ritual smoking pipes. Few cultures, if any, are devoid of traditions and practices that include smoke of some sort, as a meat preserver, signaling device, in cremation processes or communal sharing of burning vegetable matter. I have not yet found any indication that smoke from burning vegetable matter was inhaled solely for the purpose of exhaling as part of a spiritual exercise, or to see how big of a cloud you could make to impress your friends. There was always typically some systemic or externally present molecular compound affiliated with the vegetable matter that was released into the human body when inhaled as smoke. Surely the moment of discovery was when a human got a whiff of burning cannabis, and the beginning of thousands of years of history of burning and inhaling cannabis smoke to realize the benefits of the plant’s resins affixed to the leaves and flowers of the female plant.
The resins expressed on the surfaces of cannabis flowers and canopy leaves contain over 400 different molecules in each tiny gland. The major molecules in the resin are abbreviated as THC and CBD. The THC is responsible for the uplifting, euphoric, and energetic response in most humans and the CBD is noted for the analgesic, sedative responses. Aromatic terpenes also present in the resin modulate the effects of THC and CBD. Seedless female plants, with their resinous flowers and leaves, have long been the preferred variety to cultivate and cure for traditional smoke producing delivery methods. Part ritual in their own right, the use of cigarette papers to elaborate glass devices to burn cannabis and create the smoke to inhale into the lungs has been the dominant protocol of cannabis consumers for centuries.
Traditional smoking began to change in 2007 with the arrival of portable vaporizers that first hit the market as electronic cigarettes, loaded with nicotine oil, prepared without the harmful associated combustion products of a burning cigarette. The oil was heated within the e-cig to the point of vaporization and inhaled. There was no burning of the nicotine, so it was alleged to be healthier. Not long after that, the cannabis industry followed the same course by using cannabis oils in vaporizer devices. There is a rapidly growing market for cannabis concentrates in cartridges that affix to a variety of re-chargeable batteries, as well as a fiercely competitive competition among multiple cannabis concentrate producers. The industry has established a uniform connector, essentially the USB of cannabis vapor systems. A cartridge of your choosing, containing the oils extracted from a specific strain of cannabis having your preferred CBD:THC ratio and terpene profile, is affixed to the battery, re-chargeable via USB adapter. The cartridges contain the concentrate in a typically clear pyrex tube with an atomizer at the battery connection end, and a mouthpiece at the other. Some vendors use the classic flattened “tiparillo” tip while others use a simple round one. I’m an aficionado of gizmos and gadgets, so I am really impressed by the micro-engineering of the atomizers. When current is applied, a tiny heating device heats the oil in the atomizer to around 380 degrees, then it is inhaled as vapor. The atomizers do not reach the point of burning the oil. There is a brief visible cloud of vapor upon exhaling that dissipates quickly without a trace or lingering smell. At long last, a consumer can experience the true flavor and aroma of of the extracted resins of a specific strain. For thousands of years, humans simply burned it all up because it was on the flowers and leaves. Cannabis has definitely reached connoisseur status since the advent of vapor systems, now no bigger than a fountain pen. Traditional stash boxes, rolling papers, pipes and bongs are headed to the museum of cannabis. Consumers are learning there is real harm in smoking the flowers and leaves. There is no good reason to inhale particulate smoke when a clean, sophisticated delivery system is available. There is nothing in burning chlorophyll that is good for you. Inhaling vaporized cannabis allows the consumer to experience the nuances of flavor and aroma of the multitude strains available today.
The extraction process itself is another engineering marvel from my perspective. Although not a new process, super-critical carbon dioxide (CO2) systems are the backbone of cannabis extractors. Harvested plant parts are loaded into the system, carbon dioxide as plasma is pumped through it, extracting all the resins. The end product is a concentrate of just the resins as a thick oil. The carbon dioxide is recovered as gas in a closed loop system, and the now-benign vegetable matter is used as compost. The concentrate is ready to load into cartridges, edibles, tinctures, and topicals. Basically, liquid gold.
Once again, I refer to former City Manager Brad Kilger’s counsel that staff and officials need to be aware of trends. The trend in cannabis consumer use is getting away from smoking vegetable matter to acquire the benefits of cannabis. Not only is it not healthy, it is a hassle to deal with all the steps necessary to make smoke to inhale. Now all it takes is a vaporizer system and about 3 seconds of inhaling vapor. The ratio of CBD:THC and terpene profile can be as you like it, with some cartridges having no THC at all. One vendor makes 18 different cartridge selections. This market is expanding like a supernova. With vaporization, you can choose to be creative and energetic, or glued to the couch feeling no pain and sleeping like a rock.
Consideration should be given to a novel local policy of no sales of cannabis vegetable matter in Benicia, consumed primarily by the archaic process of burning to produce smoke to inhale. I would extend this prohibition to solvent extractions as well, such as butane processes. Basically a “smokeless” policy, in the name of harm reduction. I believe Benicians are at the connoisseur level and should have the privilege of acquiring products offered by the growing number of CO2 concentrate vendors, at mainstream locations, not tucked away in the Industrial Park. Cannabis flower and solvent extracts are available not far from here, and there are already deliveries in our city for home-bound or transportation challenged patients. It remains to be seen how dispensary operators will respond to a “no veg or solvent extracted products” condition in Benicia, but I believe the growing consumer demand for high-quality concentrates and vaporizing systems will offset loss of sales revenues associated with flowers and solvent extracts.
Close to two thirds of us approved Prop. 64 last year. I believe we are entitled to the city of Benicia making pure, high-quality cannabis consumer products available to patients and recreants alike. We should target our economic strategy to quickly define what rules we want so we can be on the radar of cultivators and processors.
Stan Golovich examines the developing resin glands to look for peak ripeness of the cannabis flower before harvesting. (Photo courtesy of Stan Golovich)
Stan Golovich is a 31-year Benicia resident, senior, veteran, artist and cannabis advocate-educator. He is an alumnus of Oaksterdam University in Oakland, America’s first “cannabis college”. He is the husband of former Benicia city council member Jan Cox-Golovich, and is often seen riding his bike on First Street, said to be the only bicycle in the world with a stained glass window in the frame, a product of his work in stained glass.
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Our new City Manager has instituted a new community discussion forum. You have to register with a real name and address to prevent trolling and personal attacks from anonymous posters. Express your views there, and urge our elected officials to move quickly on regs. Many Benicia residents acquire cannabis products in other cities, plus the sales taxes for medical cannabis product deliveries to Benicia stay in the originating city. I am originally from Vallejo and have many old friends there that would prefer to acquire cannabis products here given a choice.
http://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/beniciatownhall
Cannabis provides natural relief for my arthritis discomfort and helps me sleep well. I am a senior and do not like going into Vallejo. I don’t use delivery because I like to look at the products I am going to buy, plus there is a delivery charge. If we desire to be a tourist destination, we should make cannabis available on First St. for them. The restaurants should do well because it does make you hungry as heck too.
Availability of cannabis on First Street is a tourism essential. As of January 1 any 21 adult can purchase. Here again is more missed sales taxes if we decide to leave sales in the Industrial Park where tourists don’t go.. The fact that we are cannabis-friendly should be a feature of tourism marketing. Tourists would love to spend money at a quaint cannabis shoppe on First Street that offers only CO2 extracted products.
There are numerous articles about cannabis tourism. People are planning their day trips/vacations based on whether or not cannabis is available at their destination. This is especially important to international visitors that cannot bring their cannabis on a an aircraft.
Stan is there sales tax on medical Cannabis?
Right now, yes, just the sales tax. As of January 1, 2018, a 15% excise tax goes into effect for all cannabis sales. But if a patient has paid the state for an ID card, the taxes are waived. Thanks for setting a good example using the word “cannabis” instead of the filthy alternative. I do believe it is catching on.
Although not an official poll or ballot, the Benicia Town Hall feature is showing about the same sentiments towards cannabis as last November’s vote for Prop. 64. The community has spoken. We haven’t got time to monkey around with meetings to hear voices. Cannabis cultivators/processors are eager to come to our Industrial Park. It will take some months to get things going with plans, engineering, hearings, and permitting. The dispensary debate can come later. We need to get the businesses going to start making that liquid gold that will swell our GF like a pufferfish. We have enough tax leakage as it is with people like myself traveling to other cities to acquire our products. I would rather Shop Benicia First. So would a lot of friends of mind that don’t live here. It is a matter of economic necessity to quickly take action, not wait for poll results and more opinions. I’ve seen enough.
Economic necessity should not be the driving force behind this issue. Nor should personal agenda driven ideals. I have also seen enough to convince me that we do not need to move so fast. If the city wishes to put an additional tax that will not happen until mid 2018. There are also distant issues that must be resolved over and above what is presently allowed. Better to make sure there are no unintended consequences. Do our very best to get it correct.
Bob,
As we move closer and closer to legalizing marijuana, we need to let anyone out of jail who is serving time for simple possession of small amounts of marijuana.,
There are ten dispensaries in Vallejo but they do not allow cultivation/processing ops. The citizens there have started an initiative process to force the city to act on this issue. Meanwhile, there are grow ops all over their city, according to sources, plus you can smell the ripening flowers in certain areas because they cannot afford expensive ventilation systems with carbon exhaust filters. There are operators with investment capital in Vallejo eager to start up cultivation/processing. Were we to get a jump on this opportunity, cannabis products from Benicia would serve two local robust markets. The Vallejo dispensaries pour millions of dollars into Vallejo’s GF and are not crime magnets. Vice-Mayor Young has made this observation. All members of our city council agreed to lift the prohibition on cannabis in Benicia. Although there was some hemming and hawing about dispensaries and locations. none of them expressed opposition to business operations in the Industrial Park. The voters of Benicia have spoken and are still doing so. There is no political consequence in advocating for an acceleration of efforts to initiate cannabusiness in the Industrial Park or dispensaries in prime retail areas. We need more revenue to maintain our city and expand police staffing without raising taxes and fees on residents… I read the BPD daily reports and there are a lot of out of town visitors being arrested here. I want more police to keep the real criminals out of our town.
Do you have an estimate of how much it will add to our General Fund?
Recreational cannabis sales have proven to be extremely popular. Nevada dispensaries had long lines and were facing depleted inventory in less than a week after legal rec sales began, with some expecting to run out. The situation prompted Nevada state government to consider emergency regulations to fast track distributor licensing because their sales tax stream was being choked off.
I am certain that rec sales in Benicia or anywhere else would be no less popular. For the purpose of this exercise in guesstimating, I used a “merged market” model of a storefront accessible to both medical and rec consumers, and a 10% “special tax” that the City of Benicia will put on the 2018 ballot. This mirrors the special tax rate on cannabis in Vallejo, but Benicia can set it wherever they want. I used 33 consumers an hour at $100 per purchase times 9 hours of operation. This equals $1,069,200 per storefront annually. If we had two storefronts, $2,138,400, straight to the GF. Recognizing this is strictly a WAG, I do believe it is quite close to the real numbers that will emerge.
Stan not sure about your math. How much do you think each store front would do in net annual sales. Must deduct the 15% first. If each store did 3 mil annually times two we would be talking about 6 mil of taxable revenue. We get I% for measure C and 1% of the regular tax. So add the 10% and you get 12% tax to the city. 12% of 6 mil is $720,000 in additional revenue. That was just an example. That is almost three and half times what First Street brings in annually now. If we are only talking revenue and that seems to me what you are talking about that is a very easy sell. It will not cover the CalPers annual increase of about $800,000. But put three new car sales agency’s on the Seeno property and we are now talking a different story. 25% of Fairfield budget is from car sales. Yes they are four time bigger with a very hefty budget. But that is where the dollars are. At this point the value to the city on a monetary issue only is very hard to judge at this point. We all must remember there will be other city’s doing the same thing. If it is done in Contra Costa County they will not cross the bridge to buy in Benicia. That is why I have said there is more to it than just selling it. A very in depth study must be done first. It does appear in the minds of those in favor it is already a done deal. Maybe, we shall see.
Did you know that cannabis products are already being sold in Benicia, at Raley’s?
Stan I did no know that. So I went to Raleys and asked management about that comment. They told me that they do not sell cannabis products. Maybe you could identify the product by name and manufacture. Also what area of the store it is sold. Did you buy a cannabis product there? The answer could help clear this up.
We do not sell cannabis here at Raleys!
Hemp seed and hemp protein powder are not cannabis?
Stan what are the cannabis products you are talking about. Are hemp seed and hemp powder cannabis products. You tell us Stan. Your the one with the degree. You made the statement now back it up. Maybe you could prove others to be wrong.
Try “what is hemp” in your address bar. The items I mentioned are cannabis products, just like I asked. I do believe you and the Raley’s employee are now educated about the strains of cannabis. I regret that your tone has turned nasty after being made a fool of running to Raley’s and getting the employee to chime in demonstrating an equal amount of ignorance about their product selections. Accordingly, I will no longer try to have a civil conversation with you, or shop at Raley’s.
Your choice Stan.. My conversation is civil. Read my post. Am I supposed to believe everything you say. Your post indicated that the products were all the same. You did not distinguish the difference. You are a very sensitive person. There is a difference and you know that. Just like there is a difference on how fossil is used. Many areas of use. I checked it out and you did not like that. I assume your agenda is personal. Mine is not. Just want more info. Your answer is incomplete and very misleading. Give a complete answer.
Wrong.
Wrong about what.
Stan I have used the word “cannabis” and you thanked me. I could have used the more commonly used terms such as medical or recreational use of Marijuana. There is a difference and you know that. If cannabis products are being sold in stores why not use those products. The reason is simple, they are not the same nor are they used in the same way. You know that. Your article tried to tell the story but fell short ion a complete explanation.
People in Benicia will long remember this incident at Raley’s. Stan trolled a lure and hooked up a big mouth bass, the juke of the year at Herald discussion forum, which has become not a forum, but a place where frustrated old men launch into tirades against anyone not sharing their views. Good job, Mr. Golovich, our family supports cannabis in all forms as you do.
Wrong, Stan made a comment about a retail store that was very misleading. I know that and others can be in denial about the comment. Not necessary to mention a local business in a very negative manor. This is not about me but I do like the mention.. For that I thank you.
“mention a local business in a very negative manor.” Explain.
Thomas, I have left comments at Raley’s “Talk to Us” feature of their web page asking for their senior community relations manager to post an amended response from Raley’s on the hemp issue.
I don’t think you need to worry about it, Stan. I doubt Coleen is the official spokesperson for Raley’s. Nor does the new “citizen research reporter”. Also, you haven’t make any “very negative” comments.
Raley’s actually has two competing vendors now offering hemp seed and powder. Thanks for the encouraging words.
Raley’s hemp seed products are imported from Canada. A complete protein, potent and nutritious. About $9 for 8 oz., very tasty out of the bag or on salads, etc. Before they added a second vendor, the hemp protein powder was often out of stock. These products are very popular in Benica.
Interesting article. Deferring to your knowledge on the subject, are oil cartridge based vaporizers advantageous when compared to those that use a heating chamber to vaporize from the plant itself without burning the organic matter? I don’t really know too much and have heard of both systems.
All in all, I really agree with what you are proposing. Similarly with alcohol, you can have rotgut and an environment that is sketchy at best, and then we have areas like Sonoma and Napa, which have make alcohol into an aesthetically positive social identity. If Benicia were to adopt a “High Grade” Cannabis look, it’d be a jump-start on what I imagine is an inevitable emerging market in California.
The plant material type have to be cleaned on a regular basis and reloaded based on a person’s consumption frequency. Pure oil systems are immensely advantageous because of the ease of use and guaranteed purity of the product. You just screw one on and it’s ready to go. Cartridges are typically half gram capacity but they also make full gram tanks. The batteries typically run out of charge before the cart is empty so a backup battery is advised. The vendors say the carts are designed to be disposable because they want you to buy another cart at $30-$35 a half gram. Truth is you can consume the contents of one and refill it with a pre-loaded syringe “dripper” of the same or similar strain offered by another vendor @ $30 for a full gram.
“Let the sweet pineapple and high-energy euphoria of this native Hawaiian strain wisp your creative spirit to beautiful places”…
“has an aroma of pineapple with accents of caramel and butter, a subtle sweet pineapple taste with a mint undertone”…
“Its pleasant sweetness is accompanied by subtle notes of citrus and fruit for a truly modern cannabis taste.”
These are a sampling of excerpts from vendors offering top-tier cannabis oil concentrates. Very similar to descriptive terms about wine varieties. As poster “B.B” noted, Napa and Sonoma have maintained a robust economy based on making and selling top-tier alcohol, We can take the lead in Solano County by engaging cannabis commerce specifically targeting the concentrates industry. The dispensary I belong to in Sonoma County has added two new cartridge vendors since I was there a month ago. A lot of the other patients are people my age who are now switching to smokeless vaporizer systems. Next year, we should invite cart vendors to our Farmer’s Market. I guarantee people my age and hundreds of others will walk right past the organic spinach to see what the cart vendors have. The unofficial poll at Benicia Town Hall is showing extremely strong support for cannabis. I’m curious to see who will break out of the pack and take the lead on advocating for cannabusiness. From comments I’ve heard so far, Vice-Mayor Young appears to be the front-runner. It IS better in Benicia!
This issue is about 2018 legalized marijuana. Not any over the counter legal cannabis. There is a difference Stan. That was what the voters approved as did Benicia voters. It is now up to the council to see how we go about it. It does appear they will vote in favor of store front marijuana sales. That vote could be 5/0 or 4/1. We shall see. Yes it does appear that marijuana will be sold in stores legally after Jan1, 2018 in Benicia. Where is what is going to be decided. But do not bet your house on the financial gains. It may well not be as some think. Stan your math is very optimistic. How did you come up with those numbers. My numbers were just an example and that’s all they were
Stan, The Town Hall report is less than 2% of eligible. Not important at all.
If I ever run for office, my campaign theme will be “Budless in Benicia”, less smoke equals a healthier community.
Intriguing idea; Benicia as a tourist destination for upscale cannabis consumption. This idea has a great amount of merit. Hopefully our elected leaders will have the vision and wisdom to sieze this exciting opportunity.
The people that operate delivery services for cannabis tell me their biggest cartridge markets are in conservative East Bay communities that still ban cannabusiness. Consumers order carts online and their order discreetly shows up later. They like carts because they can consume cannabis without their neighbors knowing their private business, People from these communities have disposable income and would love to come to Benicia to check out our cannabis shoppe on First Street. These people love entertainment, fine dining and high fashion. The only problems I can see with this scenario is in the area of traffic and parking. This concept would put us on international tourist radars as well. As mentioned previously, tourists are planning vacations based on the availability of cannabis at their destination.
Stan tells us more about the cartridge cannabis business. I assume in most cases it is being used as a medical need. But could it go overboard and now the recreational side will use it. Does this mean they can be used anywhere with the same results in the recreation use of cannabis. Can someone walk down first street and be using these cartridge types of cannabis in an effort to just hide the use of cannabis. It appears Stan you may have just opened a can of worms. Those worms will not catch this big fish. I want more info from the alumnus of the first Cannabis College. You may have given out more info than intended.. Even though research can tell us the same.. I now think you may have put forward an issue to the attention of the City Council. Will this type of cannabis be allowed to sell locally? We shall see. Stan this may just have been an unintended consequence that you did not think about.. Have at it Stan it is your show..
Add Napa to conservative communities banning storefronts but allowing delivery, dominated by top-tier cartridge sales. Few people in Napa that can afford delivery plus tip are buying veg cannabis and would love to visit a cannabis shoppe on First Street offering connoisseur level products. There are an unknown volume of consumers in Vallejo and that would rather shop in Benicia.
High fashion and high tea in Marin. Could be any back yard in Benicia. Careful, parts of the article could make you blush.
https://tinyurl.com/yarr4dth
The takeaways from this article are low dosing of THC and responsible use. These women entrepreneurs are the type of cannabusiness we want to grow in our city. Here again, Marin County consumers with disposable income would be inspired to visit our quaint cannabis shoppe on First Street, offering the products they are familiar with.and other top-tier products.
kikoko.com
Is low dosing of cannabis available already?
The tea party article really made me curious about trying cannabis myself. Those ladies looked like they were having a grand time, and probably all had pretend tea parties when they were little girls. Wonderful!
Remember they needed a Medical ID card and recommended transportation Uber or Lyft. Is that the kind of party you want. The good thing is the legal level amount could work. The higher level not legal amount as yet could be a very big issue. Medical marijuana does have its benefits but is prescribed by a doctor. Remember the unintended consequences. I hope you do not fall for the hype.
“but is prescribed by a doctor.” Wrong.
To receive a Medical ID must have a copy of your doctors recommendation. The word prescribed I MAY have used wrong. But it is the doctors recommendation. The key word is “Doctor”.
Medical ID? Actually, all you need is a recommendation. However, that will all be irrelevant in a few short months.
You may be correct. But there are some very important issues that must be resolved. I have mentioned them before. All the pot/marijuana /cannabis user will now be out in the open. Curious how many will be open to walking into a retail store on say First Street to make their purchase.. I do believe some will still hide the fact that they are users.
“Remember the unintended consequences.” How about a reminder?
Hi, Bob. I told my daughter about my interest in trying cannabis tea so she brought me some the other day. I drank a cup and about an hour later I started to work on a crochet project I had not touched in months. Then I went in the garden and worked for a while until I got really hungry, so I had a good lunch and took a nap. Felt great when I woke up, beware of what hype?
It apparently was legal cannabis tea. I said that there is some advantages to it. Its when you get into the soon to be legal dose that may also be good. You will have to dec ide that. I do understand the good of medical cannabis. I hope it works and I like the results you had. Thank you for address your comment to me.
I was inspired by the tea party story as well and will be hosting a similar one in September. It will be more like the “Real Housewives of – – – – – Court”, without cameras!
Their is continued strong support for the cannabis plant in Benicia because we have higher per-capita intelligence and reject tattered prohibitionist canards aimed at stopping regulation and taxation. The Tannery Building is an excellent location with plenty of parking on B Street for a cannabusiness. There was once a coffee shop on the waterside of the building many years ago, a perfect location for something like “New London Cannabis Shoppe and Tea Room” honoring a former resident that enjoyed cannabis and wrote some books.
What a wonderful name. I hope this can happen on First St.
It definitely was a negative comment. He did not talk about what type nor did he mention other stores. Only Raleys which does imply because of the topic which is legal local cannabis on Jan. 1, 2018 that they may have jumped the gun. Not going to get out of this one. He got caught and is now back tracking.
Or, you could just be making something out of nothing.
Stan said it he will have to defend it.
Did not, you did.
Stan said “Did you know that cannabis products are already being sold in Benicia at Raleys”. July 21st. Read it. I did not say that. Stan Did not state it was for info only. Nor did he until recently back track his comment with an explanation. Should have done that at the same time of original comment. Would have been no problem at all. He is back tracking very quickly.
No worries.
Petersen has nothing to say so he steals my ID of another commenter. Using other peoples names is his calling.
“citizen research reporter”? Again, making something out of nothing. It’s what Livesay does.
You are correct you said it and it was a direct comment to me. You know that or you would not have said it.
Yes, I did comment with it. Yes, it was directed toward you. It is a fitting identification. No worries.
Stan I do understand the medical need/advantages of medical cannabis. Smokeless etc. If that is your desire I would support that fully. My problem with the whole cannabis issue is the non smoking or as you refer to as the cartridge type. You do mention control etc. I assume you support non use of cartridge in public or walking down the street. A very fine local retail store would be fine if it looks like a very fine vitamin shop or any up scale retail store. There are ways to make this work that have not been fully looked into. All the readers have to do is keep updated. I do not believe folks are going to come running to Benicia to buy Cannabis when they possibly can fill their needs in a close by town.. If they do come to Benicia to buy there products I do believe they buy and leave. No stop for food, entertainment. If we think they will stay after their purchase then I would believe they would have been coming here before legal cannabis. They did not come as tourist in the past. The Marin issue is interesting. The invite said bring your medical marijuana ID and also suggested the use of Uber or Lyft. That tells me there is more than health issues to it. It is a very interesting article. I get the paper so I had read the article before your post. Just a comment on Marin. We have a long way to go on this issue. My suggestion is look at all unintended consequence. One that comes to mind is outdoor home grown. That could be an attraction for crime activity. . Many youthful invaders.
“My problem with the whole cannabis issue is the non smoking or as you refer to as the cartridge type.” Why?
It is not legal to walk down the street drinking a beer. Must be confined to a place that it is legal. Doing marijuana walking down the street could fall into the category of e-cigarettes etc. If e-cigarettes are band in public in Benicia it will be like drinking on the street.s in Benicia. Not legal.
Does not seem like a deal breaker.
THC response in humans is not one size fits all. Some people could consume 10mg THC and feel no change, while others at the same dose could break into uncontrollable laughter for extended periods. I would advise first-time consumers that wear dentures to use industrial-strength denture adhesive to avoid blowing your teeth across the room.
When we start hosting international bocce tournaments at our wonderful expanded courts, these folks are going to want alcohol and cannabis. We have approved alcohol consumption at the courts, no reason we cannot approve vape-only cannabis, because that’s all we sell anyway.
Who is we?
Stan, International Bocce Tournaments. We have four courts. Is there plans for more. If so tell us about that plan. Maybe across the straits tournament with Martinez. Alcohol and vape- only Cannabis, because that is all we sell anyway. Just who is we? Are you talking about after 2018 or now? You are causing folks to question this whole store front cannabis sale option. You may have caused an unintended big issue with folks and also the council. You could very well be the enemy that could cause some problems with your comments. I know they are personal ideals but maybe you are now in the minority with your constant expansion of use comments. It has opened many eyes of guestions. We shall see.
I like the no smoke concept. It is definitely more healthy. Good idea.
I would rather our town be known for cannabis oil than crude oil.
Interesting article in NY Times today on workers needed for well paying jobs in with benefits in factories that cannot fill positions because applicants fail drug tests.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/business/economy/drug-test-labor-hiring.html?hpw&rref=us&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well
“Of the applicants who test positive at her company, Ms. Mitchell said, half fail because of marijuana use, with opiates and other harder drugs accounting for the remainder. Because tests for marijuana pick up the drug for up to a month after exposure, many local manufacturers are anxious about Ohio’s plan to permit medical marijuana use in the near future.”
Excellent reply Greg.
Easy solution. remove marijuana from the drug screening. Problem solved. As an aside, why do factory workers need to be drug tested?
Same reason an Airline pilot is tested. Safety.
Airline pilots are responsible for many lives. There are many industries where that is not the case for employees, yet they still require drug testing. Interestingly, there is no screening that test for alcoholism, yet alcohol is probably one of the most dangerous drugs as far as safety is concerned. There is nothing stopping factory workers from downing a few at lunch time. As such, drug testing is kind of imperfect.
Many tests include alcohol and drug use at the same time. Many companies have abuse help for employees. Drug alcohol etc. The use of drugs, alcohol is a big problem in the work force. That is the reason the companies do the testing. It does help the individual, employees, safety, morale etc. Many companies also check your credit. I believe all places of employment should do drug and alcohol testing. It can only help. I have passed every test when I was working and would also pass now. Not a big issue. Never did cannabis.
A positive alcohol test would only indicate that a person has consumed alcohol with a certain time frame of the test, and would be undetectable beyond that. So if somebody drank themselves into a coma on Saturday, a test on Wednesday would not pick it up. On the other hand, if somebody smoke on Saturday it would show up on Wednesday. That aside, it is NOBODY”S business what they choose to do on a Saturday, or when they are not on the clock. That is why I stated that drug testing is imperfect, as well as an invasion of privacy.
Not an invasion of privacy. It is a health and safety issue that all should be willing to take. If that is an invasion of privacy I would assume many do not have bank accounts, credit cards, driver license and many other things. Your entire life in your opinion is an invention of privacy. Glad they do the testing and checking.
It is an over reach that punish even those that exercise everything in moderation. I’ve never been tested. You mention that you have been tested and passed every time. I suppose you never touched a drink during your entire career?
Also, yes my life is an “invention of privacy”, LOL.
Also, what position have you held where “health and safety” were directly related, or even peripheral, to your job function?
“Earlier this spring, the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau of Cannabis Control, Department of Public Health and Department of Food and Agriculture released proposed regulations for the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. These licensing authorities held public hearings and accepted written comments regarding the proposed regulations. However, in late June, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law, the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, which creates one regulatory system for both medicinal and adult-use cannabis. As a result, the licensing authorities will withdraw the proposed medical cannabis regulations noticed for public comment on April 28 and May 5, 2017. The withdrawal is likely to happen early next month” – excerpt from state agency email.
The trend is headed to a “merged market” regulating system where a consumer is either a patient or 21 adult. The governor threw out the m word as well.
Some of the responses at Benicia Town Hall indicate a concern for rising crime if we allow storefront cannabis dispensaries. Enter medical cannabis dispensaries deter crime in your address bar to view a number of articles on this issue. If I were a business owner on First Street or in Southampton Center, I would want one next door. The term “walkability” pops up often, the Industrial Park does not have it.
Overall, very interesting results from the survey.
It’s great to see local residents and business owners commenting in support of regulate and tax, as well as testimonials from other Benicia medicinal consumers.
Yes, Stan, I agree. I believe it is the folks that keep flashing back to “Reefer Madness” – type propaganda that are the hold outs.
Tell us who these folks are by name maybe their names are on the report. If they said it they will want it published.
At present there have been 331 responses. A city of about 28,000 with maybe a voting population of about 18,000. That is less than 2%. I will say it is interesting. The important thing is how many pro or con took part. How much of an impact it will have on the council is to be determined.
Senate Bill 94 directs state agencies to scrub the m word and the term “medical cannabis” from regulating documents.
https://tinyurl.com/y7tw8s5z
The new rules indicate two basic license categories for either adult-use or medicinal cannabis commercial activity, A-license or M-license. A business owner applying for and being issued more than one license is contingent upon the licensed premises being separate and distinct.
There is no clarity in the law to specify what constitutes a separate and distinct premises. I believe a single storefront partitioned to create two controlled spaces with a common security lobby would be allowed. Basically, this rules keeps minors out of 21 adult only business.
AB 64 is working through the legislature and would allow adult-use and medicinal licenses to operate on the same premises.
“I am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing (cannabis), so people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another.”- AG Sessions.
I am astonished to hear this kind of ignorant nonsense in the face of a worldwide shift to use cannabis in the war on opioids. Recently, a presidential commission recommended declaring national opioid emergency, but Trump ignores them, vowing to win the war on opioid crisis without specifics as to how to do it, offering only the standard simplistic approach of keeping youth off drugs so they won’t become addicts. Meanwhile, nations like Canada and Israel are committed to weaning addicts off opioids by substituting cannabis as national harm reduction efforts.
Looks like Big Pharma is seeing the dollar signs. This could lead to cannabis eventually being re-scheduled, or de-scheduled altogether:
http://herb.co/2017/07/04/big-pharma-cannabis-painkillers/
Fox News even recognizes the potential in cannabis as a pathway out of opioid crisis, killing 140 Americans every day, a stadium’s worth of people annually. Nobody has ever died from cannabis consumption, it is not capable of shutting down vital body functions.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/03/28/would-legalizing-medical-marijuana-help-curb-opioid-epidemic.html
Here is an interesting article about cannabis cuisine entrepreneurs. California rules are going to limit individual THC dosing to 10mg per serving of edible product. Critics will argue that Colorado had problems with edibles requiring a trip to the emergency room, but that was due to consumers not being familiar with dosing and time for response. Colorado poison control centers are seeing a downward trend in cannabis-related calls, indicating education of consumers is effective and ongoing.
https://tinyurl.com/ycy5h4rd
No kidding Stan. I do believe I have been saying that all along. It is new to Benicia and the residents must know what the unintended consequences are. It is not all about glamour and party time.
Simple solution. Use more than one serving.
Some states, such as New York, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Florida, have enacted “smokeless” cannabis legislation, banning the crude method of ingestion by combustion of vegetable matter. More are either pending amendments or instituting smokeless into new legislation. Gov. Rick Scott (R) of Florida is a big supporter of smokeless cannabis consumption.
https://tinyurl.com/ybbr73hj
American consumer demand for concentrates doubled in 2016, and is still going up.
https://tinyurl.com/yam8xawt