Pubdate: Sat, 02 Jan 2016
Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.presstelegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/244
Author: Stefan Borst-Censullo
Note: Stefan Borst-Censullo is an adviser to the California Growers 
Association and a local advocate for the medical cannabis industry.

MARIJUANA DELIVERY SERVICE IN LONG BEACH IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN POT STOREFRONTS

Despite what Long Beach Councilwoman Suzie Price asserts, her recent 
campaign to maintain the ban on storefront dispensaries and implement 
a "delivery-only" approach is a study in inept public policy, 
irrational taboos and political carelessness.

Her current proposal establishes a system that does not adequately 
address demand, creates far more public safety problems than its 
proponents claim and guarantees that future license holders will be 
functionally unable to recoup their investments.

Delivery -only is a bad model for a variety of reasons, all of which 
were explained in detail to Price before she decided to pursue it.

To begin, as the Long Beach City Council itself knows, delivery 
drivers of any profession risk their personal safety when working in this city.

The issue was so severe that the city had to require taxis to pick up 
passengers in some parts of town. By forcing operators to deliver a 
controlled substance, in exchange for cash, Price has created perfect 
conditions for armed robberies.

 From an economic perspective, claims from the Long Beach Police that 
undoing the ban on storefront retail operation will cost the city 
more than the revenue it generates are completely baseless.

Evidence for the positive economic impact of commercial cannabis have 
already been seen in a number of different jurisdictions.

Furthermore, objective analysts estimate the value of the Los Angeles 
area cannabis market at around $1 billion.

If our city bureaucracy can't find a way to profit off a business 
with this much available capital, they are truly not trying hard enough.

Additionally the police have mischaracterized their current failed 
strategy for combating the illegal commercial cannabis trade.

 From a policy perspective the Price proposal will only make it 
easier for illegal distributors, as it creates a regulatory 
environment that is impossible for any legitimate business to operate 
in good faith. Delivery services from both in and outside of Long 
Beach will have no incentive to seek these licenses from the city.

By design, these licenses are guaranteed to be cost-prohibitive on 
the front end and would subsequently place their owners at a severe 
competitive disadvantage to rogue operators-who will continue to 
avoid local control with little to no way to hold them accountable.

Advocates for medical cannabis have worked hard to educate the 
council on the aforementioned economic and legal factors that would 
negatively impact any delivery-only model.

Instead of listening to objective criticisms, Price created an 
ordinance that makes any future commercial cannabis development 
strictly conditional on overcoming what would be the most restrictive 
and over-regulated marketplace in the state.

By no measure can the Price proposal be considered a compromise. 
Rather the proposal functions either as a poison pill designed 
intentionally to guarantee storefronts would never come to Long Beach.

In either case, while the rest of the state and nation move towards 
the normalization of commercial marijuana, Long Beach ignores the 
will of its own voters, the tides of history and good common sense.

Our state is allowing localities to license a host of activities 
associated with the cannabis economy, including distribution, 
logistics and manufacturing.

Long Beach had an opportunity to invite these business into our city 
and create a new facet of local sustainable job creation.

Now, because of the fear and distortions that guided a small majority 
of the council, we will lag behind and potentially lose millions in 
revenue while we play catch up.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom