Pubdate: Thu, 27 Mar 2014
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Copyright: 2014 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Contact: http://www.reviewjournal.com/about/print/press/letterstoeditor.html
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/233
Author: Tom Ragan

MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY RULES CALLED 'RIDICULOUS'

City Official Says Current Wording Merely a Draft

Las Vegas' business licensing staff came under fire Wednesday from a
couple of dozen people who said its proposed regulations on medical
marijuana dispensaries bordered on "ridiculous," including not being
able to wear sunglasses and hats while purchasing the medication.

Other proposed regulations that drew the ire of some of the 100 who
attended a city meeting included not allowing dispensary owners to
refer patients to physicians, requiring three security guards, and
keeping cultivation facilities separate from the dispensaries, which
would be more costly for medical pot businesses.

"You should remove this entire page where it reads 'prohibited
activities,' " yelled William Baker, a patient advocate who thought
the dress code scenario was silly, seeing that there are plenty of
patients who turn to medical marijuana for their glaucoma and must
wear sunglasses and hats.

Baker suggested that the city standardize its regulations along with
Clark County's and the state's so that everybody is on the same page.

The meeting, which lasted 40 minutes, was the first of two in which
the business department is accepting feedback before it whittles down
a 38-page draft into something more manageable to present to the City
Council.

Karen Duddlesten, the city's business manager, repeatedly reminded the
sometimes contentious crowd that the draft was merely a draft, and
that every comment would be considered before the City Council gets
the final proposal in May.

Then the council will either pass an ordinance allowing 10
dispensaries within the city or decide that medical marijuana
dispensaries might not be such a good idea.

The city has been slow to welcome dispensaries since the Nevada
Legislature passed Assembly Bill 374, which authorizes as many as 66
dispensaries in the Silver State and as many as 40 in Clark County.

Each jurisdiction and major city in Clark County is entitled to 25
percent of the total 40, but so far only the County Commission has
decided to accept the dispensaries.

The city of Las Vegas a few weeks ago said it would explore its
options and come up with tentative regulations. But some of those
proposals weren't good enough for the attorneys, the patients, and
even dispensary owners from other states such as Miles Kim, who owns
four dispensaries in San Bernardino County, Calif., and might open one
here.

"What will you do to protect us from the federal government?" he asked
during the hearing.

William Horne, Nevada's Assembly majority leader, reminded city staff
and the audience that they should be careful to follow obvious laws
that will keep them off the federal government's radar. While the U.S.
Department of Justice has pretty much made it clear that the
enforcement of medical marijuana dispensaries is not a priority, Horne
said dispensary owners should be careful that their product never
crosses state lines.

He said federal rules were outlined by Deputy Attorney General James
Cole in what is referred to as the "Cole Memo." He said if they follow
those rules, they shouldn't have to worry about being raided by the
federal government.

Others in the crowd, including Samantha Antone, a paralegal, said the
city's proposed regulations were a bit too constrictive.

She said she thinks that the city is "hedging its bets" at this point
in trying to decide whether to allow the dispensaries.

"I'd like to see the next meeting last more than 40 minutes," she
said. "I'd like to see more of a discussion, but I understand that
everybody is up against a tight deadline."

On April 1, Nevada's Division of Public and Behavioral Health is
scheduled to post the state's final regulations online. The
Legislative Commission plans to vote on them on March 28.

The state doesn't expect to start accepting applications for at least
a few more months, according to Marla McDade Williams, the deputy
administrator for the state's medical marijuana program. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D