San Jose City Council To Vote On Reducing Pot Clubs
SAN JOSE (KCBS) — The San Jose City Council is expected to vote on Tuesday to drastically reduce the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city and create some rigid new rules that club owners say are unworkable.
Under the proposed ordinance, only 20 dispensaries would be allowed to stay open.
Dave Hodges, founder of the All-American Cannabis Club said that that one of most difficult requirements is that all medicinal marijuana sold must be grown on the premises. He called it was "unrealistic."
"An average club right now would need about 100 lights to produce everything that have—and that with 80 in town," Hodges said.
"A situation where there is only 20 clubs in town, each club would have to have to have warehouse with 300 to 400 (1000 watt) lights."
Operations of such size, Hodges said that would have huge environmental impact, safety risks and would also attract the attention of federal authorities.
City Councilman Sam Liccardo told KCBS that there were 80 dispensaries is too many.
"I love Starbucks but we don't want a Starbucks on every street corner and we certainly recognize medicinal marijuana is here to stay but it doesn't need to be in our neighborhoods," he said.
"You don't need to be an expert in marijuana to know that a truck full of 19-year olds, who are coming for their dose on any given afternoon or evening, don't all suffer from glaucoma."
