Pubdate: Sat, 09 Jan 2016
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Edward Sifuentes, Sifuentes writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

OCEANSIDE MAY ALLOW POT DELIVERY

Medical Marijuana Patients' Stories Nudge Officials to Seek Rules for 
Such a Move.

OCEANSIDE - In an unexpected turn, Oceanside officials agreed this 
week to move toward allowing licensed medical marijuana businesses to 
deliver within the city.

The City Council signaled the move while discussing state regulations 
- - set to take effect this year - allowing the licensing of medical 
marijuana businesses in cities that haven't expressly banned them.

By a 4-1 vote, lawmakers adopted an ordinance outlawing dispensaries, 
but asked city staff to come up with regulations that would permit 
delivery services.

Oceanside has a history of strict policies against pot shops and 
consistently has cracked down on stores that opened illegally in the 
city. But several council members said they had been moved by the 
testimonies of medical marijuana patients who spoke during 
Wednesday's meeting about how the drug had helped them.

Councilwoman Esther Sanchez said a friend suffering from terminal 
cancer who recently decided to stop treatment has used medical 
marijuana for pain management.

"I personally understand the need to ensure that we have some kind of 
. safe access" to medical marijuana, Sanchez said.

On Oct. 11, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a package of bills - collectively 
referred to as the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act - that 
establishes a licensing system for cultivation, delivery and 
dispensing activities throughout the state. Unless local governments 
have ordinances in place by March 1 that regulate or ban those 
activities, the state rules will apply.

Oceanside council members said they wanted to make sure the city had 
its own rules in place.

"We do have to consider the safety of our residents," Sanchez said. 
"If we are going to allow some kind of delivery, I would want to have 
regulations like registering with the police department, like having 
drivers be 21 and over and having some kind of bond to ensure that - 
if there is some kind of trouble - there is some responsible way of 
addressing it."

Councilman Chuck Lowery voted against the proposal because he wanted 
to offer an alternative: legalizing delivery services within the city 
immediately.

"I would suggest that we allow for delivery to qualified patients 
from licensed dispensaries that operate outside the city of 
Oceanside," Lowery said.

"That will resolve the issue. We don't have to wait for staff to do 
some kind of study."

Oceanside police recommended against allowing delivery services 
because they said medical marijuana businesses were magnets for crime.

Since 2012, there have been at least 45 robberies related to the 
sale, purchase or possession of marijuana in Oceanside, according to 
a police memo. Of those robberies, 24 were committed using firearms 
and 11 involved weapons such as knives or stun guns.

In one of the robberies, a 19-year-old man delivering marijuana to 
several individuals was shot twice and left paralyzed, Lt. Adam Knowland said.

"Social issues aside, from the police department's standpoint, the 
violence alone creates a public safety issue," Knowland said.

Councilman Jerry Kern said the city has to balance the competing 
interests of keeping the public safe and allowing patients access to 
medical marijuana.

"I think this is a good compromise," Kern said. "We protect ourselves 
from the state legislation, and we also go forward with our own."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom