In the face of legal confusion, crackdowns by US attorneys, pending lawsuits and legislation and maybe a ballot measure to legalize pot, the Mammoth Town Council did not approve a medical marijuana dispensary moratorium.
Police Chief Dan Watson presented all of the pending issues circling medical marijuana right now. He recommended a moratorium on any new dispensaries in Town because of the legal uncertainties. Two years ago, the voters approved an ordinance to establish two dispensaries in Mammoth. Last year, one of the two closed. Since then, Chief Watson said the police department has heard from two parties who want to open a second dispensary, but considering the confusion over medical marijuana he suggested a moratorium until legal definitions clear up.
Clayton Bogen stood up to object to the moratorium. He raised issues of no competition with just one dispensary. He revealed that he stood ready to apply for the open dispensary permit.
Councilman John Eastman said he brought the issue forward on the agenda. He pointed out that Mammoth voters supported an ordinance with two dispensaries. Eastman said, “It’s not appropriate for the Town staff to go against the voters of Mammoth Lakes.” Eastman said he thinks it’s appropriate not to have a moratorium and to allow the second dispensary to exist. He said if individuals or groups want to open a dispensary with the current risks, “then that’s a decision they make,” he said. Eastman said he also supports competition.
Councilman Skip Harvey agreed with Eastman and said he did not think the US attorney would focus on the “little guy in Mammoth.” Harvey said he also supports a small tax on medical marijuana.
Eastman made a motion to reject the urgency ordinance for a medical marijuana moratorium. All five supported the motion. The Council indicated they would look into a fee or tax to pay for costs associated with the Town administration of medical marijuana dispensaries.
This issue is so petty compared to other problems we should be addressing. I dont like giving another human being the will to pick and choose who they want to cite or just let go on such a small issue like pot possession. Sure go after those that are lazy… Read more »
New Era, No disrespect….Are you kidding me? Think about this… if you legalize it and create more jobs, they’re going to be less productive in abundance due to the mass amount of MJ available. That seems to be a down hill slide all under the guidance of let’s create more… Read more »
No I am not kidding. employers still will have the option to hire anybody they want. and to say society would be less productive is only speculation. the more terrible idea is to keep crimalizing people that arn’t criminals, they are only criminals cause the feds keep it that way.… Read more »
How many laws are there,
Can they even be counted,
And what do they all mean?
Oh and… where or how does freedom fit in?
=
Where does law come from? You have me thinking because I’m with you in a lot of ways for sure as we are way over regulated in many areas and probably not enough in others. My first instinct is to go rogue and 100% agree with you but then I… Read more »
Prohibition didn’t work.
Legalize it all!
If we live in a “free country” why don’t we allow people to be free.
Let those do what they want to their bodies – why does the government need to control us so much?
Bill- don’t take this wrong because i agree with you. But in my opinion it’s because our government/politicians has sold us out to big business interest ,that stand to loss big money if pot is legalized. In this case the big drug makers stand to gain the most. Like Rodney… Read more »
Bill…IMO, I think it’s mainly because people are not the smartest creatures on this planet…and if you allow everyone to ingest anytype of drugs into their bodies,legally,it puts others at risk for lots of reasons…safety on the highways is most important.I knew a guy in Oregon that one time got… Read more »
Bill, LMO……. I posted a comment earlier that I smoked this stuff at 5 years old (not proud of this fact at all) that was given to me by a few hippy’s that thought it would be funny to see me high. My Mother came home, and as I remember,… Read more »
And by the way, I’m not proud of the fact that I smoked this at 5 years of age so I’m certainly not meaning to glorify this statement. I wish it never happened but id did. Thanks Bennet for making this blog possible.
SierraFan…..Your story isn’t the only one,as you state.Back in the early 90’s,I had a girlfriend living with me that I had found out when I would go to work,and she had her party-friends over getting high and passing around the bong,to quiet her 2 year old daughter,and keep her out… Read more »
Wayne- I would bet 99% of these people drank booze or took Dr. prescribed pain killers first. I heard something the other day that made sense to me. When you make something illegal that many people are going to do anyway, it just makes people disrespect authority more.
If sharing your personal story has been therapeutic for you Wayne Deja – terrific. Perhaps it’s time to move on now. When it comes to substances – all of them, you will find there are those that drink, smoke, eat, … whatever, who are completely responsible and know their limitations… Read more »
sounds like Wayne’s a poor judge of character in his personal life
It is true … one drug .. can lead to another, not to say they do .. like an automatic next step. but yeah as with anything like Wayne say’s .. they can lead to the next better high … if .. the individual is so inclined to do so… Read more »
So why not go back to the Prohibition Era and end the sale and consumption of the real problem – the dreaded booze?
I’m good with that Sierra Lib…but the fed’s have come to love the revenue too much. MJ will probably be legalized at some point here in the near future so until then we can all have fun debating this. Coming from a guy that smoked MJ at the ripe old… Read more »
Easier said than done … alcohol consumption is too deep seated in society … just as easy as it would be for the federal government to legalize marijuana. just sayin.
Alcohol keeps many people employed from judges, lawyers (including public defenders), cops anyone and everyone employed in the penal system and maybe even those who work in a business near a courthouse let’s not forget correctional officers who who work in a county jail or state prison or wherever. Too… Read more »
LOLOLOL….Well said Dingo.
Let’s compare deaths caused by prescription drugs vs deaths caused by marijuana. Sheesh our society is messed up in some ways.
You got that right Dingo. More people die in America every year from prescription drug abuse than die from heroin and cocaine combined. That stunning finding comes in a new report Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC found a fourfold increase in deaths from prescription… Read more »
Those may be true statements but then again, pretty much every household has prescription drugs of some sort compared to MJ so the numbers are skewed big time. True that MJ pretty much just relaxes you but it does do harm over the long term based on a study I… Read more »
smoking anything is bad
If marijuana impairs your reflexes how would you explain the things kids, and some adults I guess, doing the tricks they do? On skis, snowboards, motorcycles, bicycles, skateboards etc? Certainly not everyone who participates in these sports is stoned but many are. So it does not at all impair like… Read more »
If the law states that a certain number of dispenseries are legal then it should be but the abuse is the real concern. But that never happens… right?
Go take your meds…. lol
You are never going to put into place, enforce, punish, etc. laws or societal rules that will eliminate forever the very real tendancy for some human beings taking things too far – as they always do. Accept this fact and try harder to mind your own business. Or start over… Read more »
Jake you’re right, and I hope anything i said didn’t sound that way, but there is a high number of people that do .. do that, and as you say, the Drs. that sell the prescriptions. but not all of the 420 Drs. are like that I’m sure, but a… Read more »
To the “hippy lettuce” lovers here….I doubt the Chief really has issues with pot for folks that truly need it but may really have issue with those that do not and are then breaking the law. It’s funny to see the big “puffing chest” of words when the one who… Read more »
The “weed” is harmless compared to Alcohol, cigarettes, prescription drugs, and Red Bull.
Chief Watson needs to go round up some illegals before he stands on his soap box.
Rob….Not the story or the topic to be getting on one of your racist rants again…Chill out…go smoke a bowl…maybe it will help you realize you are no better than anyone else.
Legalize it. Tax it. Bail out the town with the tax.
Cracking me up Sierra Lib! The town may never get anything done then. But if it were legalized here then maybe the mountain could sell it off the roving cat and reduce the lift prices while raising tax rev.
Sierrafan…What you say is true…I don’t know of one person that has a med card(and I know of a few) that does not also sell and profit to those that don’t have cards,and just looking to get high.The way the law turned out,all it does is help a few in… Read more »
Wayne, I think you may have said it better than I did. For medical purposes this is great but only for those that are truly in need. But like anything, if you give an inch you lose a foot and they try to justify it.. lol. I guess that’s why… Read more »
The attacks Wayne is just way way of them lashing out against people who don’t see it as they do .. Your right about all of the non medical users .. using it to get weed legally, I have seen it happen .. I hear it from other people saying… Read more »
So, do you drink alcohol, Wayne Deja (be honest, now)? If so, you DO know how dangerous ethyl alcohol is to both your body, society (it has known to ruin lives, families, cause traffic deaths …? Marijuana does not numb you out like booze- just relaxes you – You ought… Read more »
Just the facts…..Haven’t had anytype of alcohol in over 2 years….and that was just an occasional beer…..Haven’t been drunk in over 9 years….You state all pot does is “relax” you….Well,maybe in the old days,that was true….Now,the stuff is a lot more potent….People I know of that smoke pot now,and just… Read more »
My wife has a card and SHE DOES NOT SELL HER POT TO ANYONE. Stop assuming EVERYONE does that because they don’t. The real problem is the 420 doctors that give a card to anyone with $100 bucks. Maybe you guy can direct you hate at them. So sick of… Read more »
They were probably babblilng idiots to start with..
After reading this article and the one in the mammoth times, it appears that Chief Watson overstepped his bounds on this one. His job is to enforce the laws, not interject his opinion of them. The facts have not changed, no matter how much he wants to talk about ‘flux’.… Read more »
I think you’re way off base in all your tirade against the chief justsayin .. it appears to me that he is just saying .. before they get into more hot water over this issue, to add to all of the crap they’re dealing with now … stop and put… Read more »
Hey Big Al, show me one erroneous statement in my ‘rant’ and I’ll agree with you. I’ve been in the area for 20 years and in general have been very supportive of MLPD…
justsayn .. the chief does have the right to voice his opinion on these matters, as you say in your post .. it is his job to enforce the law, whether it be local or state of federal law. I think he was just trying to point out that there… Read more »
justsayn- I think you are 100% correct- I hope Watson reads it.
Wow, I can’t believe the Town Council had the guts to stand up for the local voters. Maybe Chief Watson might get a clue.
Chief Dan Watson….Welcome to Mammoth Lakes….where the animals think they run the zoo…and a good reason to why the town is what it is….what is it that “progressive” said on another post….better educated,more rounded and intelligent citizens than they have in north county…next time someone there needs assistance,maybe they should… Read more »
Leave it to good ol’ happy Wayne Deja (who sounds like a perfect candidate for medical marijuana – try and chill Wayne. You sound like one of those Tea Party neocons that are ready to spontaneously combust any moment) to brighten up our day.
I generally agree with the Tea Party (not synonymous with Neocons) and think that apart from medical necessity, only fools smoke marijuana. I also think that government should not regulate and tax every foolish behavior, marijuana use among them. As do, I’d say, do most Tea Partiers. Welcome to the… Read more »
Sorry Chief you need to go after the drugs that kill, Not pot for pain patients. Your stance on this issue makes me sick.
Sorry forgot the ” ‘ll “!
Must of already smoked one!
I smoke a joint to that!!!