Bad news for Los Angeles..........

[AguaDulce]

Alright im solid then. As long as they dont close down my favorite club of all time, not sure if i should be mentioning the name on here

[lwien]

Originally Posted by AguaDulce

Alright im solid then.

You are? How do ya figure that?

[Bud4U]

well i went to my dispensary today and they said they have little and no concern. they said they are staying open, legal, and no one can do anything about it

of course if the cops come busting in all bets are off

but they were nice and well informed and didn't seem concerned. they said for patients to go join in some protests, and be lawful. they didn't like that some patients go and smoke out in the open in public to protest. that is not the goal they said and can pit people against the movement. they said if you are a little older like i am go down and be seen and heard. they say many opponents are trying to portray MMJ as a young "stoner" thing. it needs a more mature face atm

like those DA bastards have

this is a place with several locations around the city. this one is in Eagle Rock. i hope they stay open its one of the best places for meds, period

got a 1/4 of Snow Cap for $80 today. GREAT meds. i could never find this selection or security of purchase on the street, or from a dealer / friend

[lwien]

Originally Posted by Bud4U

....but they were nice and well informed and didn't seem concerned.

Then they are NOT very well informed. If they are taking money over the counter then they SHOULD be concerned.

Don't really know how this whole thing is gonna go down, but to not be concerned about it is pure folly.

[Bud4U]

well i can't say they were w/o concern altogether. but they seemed convinced all their ducks were in order. simply put they said others may go but if THEY do, something is vv wrong. because they claim 100% legitimate compliance with all laws and policy

perhaps other then the "over the counter" stuff? although unless they figure out a way to email the meds or send them UPS, i have no other way of getting it

i mean i have my rec from my doctor, i walk in and show them, they let me in, and i buy my meds. which are kept behind a counter. i have no other way of doing it. seems practical. unless they want to set up an umbrella on the sidewalk :/

anyway my bigger concern is my rec itself. i need that to be secure and legit. i don't want the law to step in and start messing with what "qualifies" as a condition for MMJ. if they close down 600 dispensaries and leave just 200, fine. thats plenty. but from what i have gathered from these boards....its the DOCTORS at fault here. if any fault can be placed. not the despensaries. which are simply trying to fill demand / need

[floating_by]

As to removing one's name from a database:
Not going to do a bit of good. Unless the dispensary never backs up their database, and never keeps archived tapes/disks of the database, you are still going to be listed under the database archives.

This tactic reminds me of the war on "terror." A threat is made or perceived and everyone reacts accordingly. Less meds, fewer employees, etc. The "terrorists" (in this case, the DEA being aided locally) "wins" without having to raise a finger and the dispensary owners operate in fear.

How is this not a war on the American public?

These DA's are likely staring at a promotion promise from the feds and are acting in their interest.

Local law enforcement is not bound to carry out the desires of federal government. This new wrinkle wreaks of back room deals and promises by the fed to local "authorities." How is this any different than the cartels in Mexico, I ask, other than promotions are offered up in lieu of death threats?

[weednotcrack]

mannn that sucks sooo much.kinda puts a hole in my plans

[lwien]

Originally Posted by Bud4U

well i can't say they were w/o concern altogether. but they seemed convinced all their ducks were in order. simply put they said others may go but if THEY do, something is vv wrong. because they claim 100% legitimate compliance with all laws and policy

perhaps other then the "over the counter" stuff? although unless they figure out a way to email the meds or send them UPS, i have no other way of getting it

i mean i have my rec from my doctor, i walk in and show them, they let me in, and i buy my meds. which are kept behind a counter. i have no other way of doing it. seems practical. unless they want to set up an umbrella on the sidewalk :/

anyway my bigger concern is my rec itself. i need that to be secure and legit. i don't want the law to step in and start messing with what "qualifies" as a condition for MMJ. if they close down 600 dispensaries and leave just 200, fine. thats plenty. but from what i have gathered from these boards....its the DOCTORS at fault here. if any fault can be placed. not the despensaries. which are simply trying to fill demand / need

According to the DA, the ONLY way to stay open is if a dispensary is a true co-op and they way that they define that, is that a co-op is NOT a business. It's a cooperative that is run by all members of the co-op where patients grow and share their bud with other members. No cash exchanged at all. And if a member is not a grower, than the co-op can offer that member bud free of charge. Again, according to the DA, if a dispensary is taking money for meds, it is an illegal operation.

[Bud4U]

ah...but the payment as you know...is a "donation"

and we ALL in the collective willingly donate money for the cause of the collective

so far as what contracts the collectives have with growers that may also bring them into the collective, idk? and while i am no lawyer, thats for sure....it just seems a very slippery slope

if i want to "donate" money to a collective which gives me meds for free, i think i will. period. and i will donate what is suggested to me, or i won't get my meds

so, thats just some devils advocate stuff there. you get the picture, i would think

i mean, if they want to assign me a collective in my local area, fine. if they want me to walk in and get my meds through a clinic window and leave a donation of my choosing in a basket, fine. but i will always pay a fair donation for my meds. and if part of that donation goes to running the non profit that supplies me and to pay some employees who work there, fine

[lwien]

Originally Posted by Bud4U

ah...but the payment as you know...is a "donation"

and we ALL in the collective willingly donate money for the cause of the collective

so far as what contracts the collectives have with growers that may also bring them into the collective, idk? and while i am no lawyer, thats for sure....it just seems a very slippery slope

if i want to "donate" money to a collective which gives me meds for free, i think i will. period. and i will donate what is suggested to me, or i won't get my meds

so, thats just some devils advocate stuff there. you get the picture, i would think

i mean, if they want to assign me a collective in my local area, fine. if they want me to walk in and get my meds through a clinic window and leave a donation of my choosing in a basket, fine. but i will always pay a fair donation for my meds. and if part of that donation goes to running the non profit that supplies me and to pay some employees who work there, fine

I hear ya, and I am sure that the lawyers that the dispensaries hire will include this in their arguments. I'm just stating the DA's feelings about this and as such, ALL of the dispensaries that are taking money for meds "should" be concerned and should get all their ducks in a row before anything comes down.

[Bud4U]

whats funny is all this controversy about weed. whether medical or otherwise

i live near L.A. but not in L.A. i don't treally know people who smoke so i am "out of the loop"

i was very surprised to find out 800 dispensaries existed around L.A. thats a lot

and i was also very surprised to find you can lounge at the "clubs" and "medicate"

i fully expected a more clinical / pharmaceutical environment myself

i mean when i go to get my meds, why am i greeted by security and passed through two security doors wherever i go? why do i go to a "sell room" at all? i could hand my rec to the security guy, make my donation, and walk out with meds. slide it though a tube in the wall of some sort. simple

i have to think some of these places just look like "pot bars" to many in law enforcement. place i go to has a hash bar, a couple couches, a joint is always going around, it seems. its not a party or anything like that. not a "hang out." but its a causal atmosphere. nothing clinical about it at all

we talk about "for profit." is anything that makes money a for profit venture? even if the profit is put back into the collective? how much profit are we talking?

i walked into the club today and they have a new wall menu. very impressive. it obviously cost a lot of money. its big, hi tech, changes colors and menu items on a timer. i'm sure the huge monitor it runs on cost thousands, much less the system and software to maintain it. but there it is

they say they are legit. yet this would seem something bought with "profit"

is it profit if its purchased with donated monies?

damn my head hurts from all this

[WildWill]

Now, there's some news...

LAPD plays waiting game on pot issue - LA Daily News

LAPD plays waiting game on pot issue
ENFORCEMENT: New city ordinance is needed for widespread crackdown.
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer
Updated: 10/09/2009 10:57:54 PM PDT

While District Attorney Steve Cooley wants to charge ahead with a get-tough campaign against medical marijuana dispensaries, Los Angeles police said they are waiting for a definitive city policy regulating the businesses before stepping up their efforts against rogue operators.

Capt. Kevin McCarthy, commanding officer of the LAPD's gang and narcotics division, said that without a new city ordinance -- which has been in the works for more than a year -- officers cannot act against many of the clinics.

"We have been getting complaints from neighborhood councils and others and we log them and try to deal with them on a case by case basis," McCarthy said.

"I think the district attorney made clear where he wants to go," McCarthy said. "The city attorney and Sheriff Lee Baca are on board with him. The bottom line is we want to make sure people who need it have safe access.

"But, we don't want to see situations develop where there are other problems."

In a radio interview on KABC-AM (790), Cooley reiterated his plan to close down many of the 800 to 900 medical marijuana shops believed to be operating in the city of Los Angeles.

"We will give them fair notice and, hopefully, they will see the light and voluntarily close down," Cooley said. "We are going to uphold the laws of California."

Local law enforcement has faced a dilemma as the City Council debates what to do about controlling the proliferation of marijuana dispensaries.
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A moratorium on opening new shops expires in March and officials hope to have a new ordinance in place by then with detailed requirements on the shops and their allowed locations.

"None of us have a problem with the legitimate collectives," said Councilman Dennis Zine, who has taken the lead on the issue. "The problem is with all these for-profit places that open up all over and who give out marijuana to everyone."

Cooley and other officials say in addition to selling to minors and others who do not use the drug for medical purposes, some of the dispensaries sell marijuana laced heavily with insecticides that endanger users even as they help finance Mexican drug cartels.

"And there is no question in my mind that this is leading to the illegal growing of marijuana," Cooley said.

Councilman Greig Smith, who chairs the Public Safety Committee where the measure is pending, said he hopes to have action within the next two weeks.

"At this point, we want to make sure we have something reasonable," Smith said. "We are trying to follow the state guidelines and take the profit motive out of this by allowing the collectives."

Smith said there were 189 collectives that sought permission to operate initially and would be required to apply again to continue their operations.

"I think what we would like to see is something like a pharmaceutical setting where people who really need marijuana can get it," Smith said.

Attorney Joe Elford, who has represented clinics, said he believes as long as the clinics follow the guidelines of the state Attorney General's Office, they should be allowed to operate.

"We support reasonable regulations -- such as there are too many in one area or the like -- but for the district attorney to come right out and say all sales of marijuana is illegal (conflicts) with state law and what the voters have approved," Elford said.

While the lack of an ordinance has partially tied the hands of the LAPD, McCarthy said officers have been able to go after brazen operators. For example, they took action against one shop that distributed fliers on the cars of students at a high school.

Councilman Paul Koretz, who wrote the state law implementing medical marijuana use, said he thinks Cooley's approach goes too far.

"All of us want to do something to make sure there are controls," Koretz said. "I certainly never envisioned Los Angeles having more than 800 clinics. But I think the direction he is going is too far to try to eliminate all medical marijuana.

"It is clear they are out of hand, but the city is trying to deal with it."

[WEEirDo]

I have no clue what this is about cuz its to long, anyone care to make cliff notes?

[WildWill]

They're backing off.

[Cheech [420]]

Originally Posted by WildWill

They're backing off.

yaay where'd you hear that from tho. i didn't see any update on NORML?