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veggie

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,538
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[CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure
#13377885 - 10/23/10 08:57 PM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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‘Interested Parties’ Await
Outcome of a Marijuana Measure
October 23, 2010 - New York Times
Dispensaries, liquor stores want piece
of the action if Prop. 19 passes
Leslie Hennessy, owner of
Hennessy’s Wines & Specialty Foods in San Francisco, waved his hand
over a glass case that sits next to his cash register, across from the
deli section where he sells cheeses, gourmet salads and olives.
Inside the case were colorful boxes of Macanudo and Romeo y Julieta
cigars. But Mr. Hennessy imagines that the case will soon contain
another smokable product — marijuana, packaged attractively because “a
rolled up joint in a baggy isn’t going to do it,” he said.
“It would be very similar to the way we sell cigars, where it’s
humidity controlled, where it’s under lock and key and there are
certain times when it would be sold,” said Mr. Hennessy, 63, who
markets his own wine and once led the California Retail Liquor Dealers
Association.
Mr. Hennessy said that he had even begun to negotiate prices with
marijuana suppliers.
A week before Californians vote on Proposition 19, which would legalize
marijuana for recreational use, businesses are preparing to enter what
is expected to be a robust retail market if the measure passes. The
activity is particularly intense in the Bay Area, where cities like
Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley and Richmond are positioning
themselves to take advantage of the burgeoning industry.
In Oakland, nearly 300 individuals and businesses have listed
themselves as “interested parties” to obtain business permits to sell
or grow marijuana. The city’s largest medical marijuana dispensary is
considering a 7,000-square-foot expansion if it is allowed to sell to
recreational users.
Cafe owners are exploring plans for Amsterdam-like coffee shops where
marijuana could be sold and consumed. The California State Package
Store and Tavern Owners Association, which represents black liquor
store owners, is holding discussions about how to position itself if
the measure passes.
“We want to be in the ballgame if it’s going to happen,” said Andre
Isler, the owner of Isler’s Liquors in Oakland and a long-time member
of the association.
A state report puts the value of California’s marijuana crop at $14
billion, dwarfing even the wine industry. Robert Jacob, who operates
the Peace in Medicine medical marijuana dispensary in Sebastopol, said
that entrepreneurs of all types were jostling to get a piece of the
action.
“So many people want to get into the business, and even aside from
actually selling it you have packaging needs, management needs,
bookkeeping needs,” Mr. Jacob said. “You have every single industry
gearing up for the next dot-com boom.”
However, even if Proposition 19 passes — polls show that the vote will
be close — it will take a while to gauge the full impact of the law.
The measure would allow Californians 21 and older to grow up to 25
square feet of marijuana and possess up to an ounce for personal use.
How and where it would be sold commercially would be left up to
individual cities and counties.
At the same time, Tom Ammiano, a Democratic state assemblyman from San
Francisco, is sponsoring a bill that would place California’s
Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in charge of regulating
marijuana. Mr. Ammiano’s bill would also allow any store to sell
marijuana as long as it has liquor license. That would include liquor
stores, most convenience stores and even supermarkets.
Complicating matters is last week’s announcement by Eric H. Holder Jr.,
the United States attorney general, that the Justice Department will
“vigorously enforce” federal drug laws even if Proposition 19 passes.
That legal uncertainty appears to be making many businesses cautious.
“There are lots of people that say this will be in the courts for a
long time,” said Libba Letton, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods Market,
which has several Bay Area stores. “It’s not something we’re interested
in getting into now.”
Oakland, San Francisco and Berkeley are waiting until after the
election to adopt rules for retail sales, officials in those cities
said. In interviews this week, the officials said they were inclined to
allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries or similar types of
businesses to sell to recreational users if Proposition 19 passed.
Customers who are not buying marijuana for medical reasons would be
required to present a California identification card instead of a
medical cannabis card to be admitted, and they would be permitted to
buy only fixed quantities of marijuana.
“I think we would want to stick with the dispensary idea,” said Laurie
Capitelli, a Berkeley City Council member. “I can’t imagine the beer
guy driving around with all that marijuana in his Miller High Life
truck.”
Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, clean and well-lighted, could be
mistaken for a retail outlet — except for the significant presence of
private security and the abundance of marijuana sold from behind a long
glass counter. The dispensary, off Interstate 880, has more than 58,000
patients, and it sold more than $21 million worth of marijuana last
year, according to Stephen DeAngelo, Harborside’s executive director.
Mr. DeAngelo said that his operation would be a good candidate for
retail sales.
“My hope is that they would look to the existing licensees to handle
this new activity,” Mr. DeAngelo said. He calculated that Harborside
would need to rent an additional 7,000 feet of adjacent office space to
accommodate the new business.
The man behind Proposition 19, Richard Lee, founded Oaksterdam
University and operates Coffeeshop Blue Sky, which doubles as a medical
marijuana dispensary, in downtown Oakland. Mr. Lee said he envisioned
marijuana cafes flourishing if the measure passed, although the state’s
tough antismoking laws would be difficult to get around.
Mr. Capitelli, the Berkeley City Council member, said that the existing
dispensaries had an obvious financial interest in controlling the
retail market. But he added that their expertise, especially on
security matters, could be helpful as cities transition from medical to
recreational sales.
Jane Brunner, president of the Oakland City Council, said her city
would most likely look to the dispensaries for retail sales if
Proposition 19 passed — not liquor stores. “We have enough problems
with those stores as it is,” Ms. Brunner said. “With the dispensaries
we have a lot of control. They pay fees, they allow us in to do
inspections.”
But other business interests, backed by legislators, are likely to push
for opportunities to sell marijuana — many already are. Mr. Ammiano,
who is sponsoring the bill to put marijuana sales under the control of
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department, said in an interview that
liquor stores would be a good option.
“Depending on the community and the location, why not?” he said.
Mr. Hennessy, the owner of the wine and specialty foods store in San
Francisco, said he intended to proceed very carefully given the legal
uncertainty. But he agreed that liquor store owners like him have the
most experience to handle the new market.
“We’ve always hoped that the bill would pass and give us another tool
to make money,” Mr. Hennessy said. “We’ve all been fingerprinted; we
have city and state licensing. We’ve just become real experts in
dispensing controlled substances.”
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Annapurna1
liberal pussy


Registered: 05/21/02
Posts: 5,646
Loc: innsmouth..MA
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: veggie]
#13378167 - 10/23/10 10:19 PM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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you can stop waiting...at this point..the polls are very clear as to the outcome...what is less clear is why prop19 crashed and burned at the last minute...
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SuperD
Cacti junky


Registered: 10/05/03
Posts: 6,648
Loc: The bridgesii bridge
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: Annapurna1]
#13378195 - 10/23/10 10:24 PM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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I don't really trust any of those polls. How many people do they typically survey?
--------------------
   D Manoa said: I need to stop spending all my money on plants and take up a cheaper hobby, like heroin. Looking for Rauhocereus riosaniensis seeds or live specimen(s), me if you have any for trade
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides


Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: Annapurna1]
#13378224 - 10/23/10 10:31 PM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Annapurna1 said: you can stop waiting...at this point..the polls are very clear as to the outcome...what is less clear is why prop19 crashed and burned at the last minute...
Now you don't know that yet. It'll be a few days before we know for sure.
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Mickalopagus
living in perverty


Registered: 07/06/04
Posts: 15,084
Last seen: 45 minutes, 38 seconds
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: Annapurna1]
#13379140 - 10/24/10 04:44 AM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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We still have 8 days to make an influence.
Go volunteer, and do what you can to keep this thing moving forward. It seems like people in california have NO idea whats on the ballots. even my friends who smoke weed were oblivious to the propositions existence until i mentioned it, and this was 4 or 5 days ago...
The swing votes i think are going to vote no, unless they are persuaded to the other direction. too much misinformation, and they think theres a good thing going with medical marijuana.
http://yeson19.com/
-------------------- notapillow said: "you are going about this endeavor all wrong. clear your mind of useless fear and concern. buy the ticket, take the ride, and all that.... " ChrisWho said: "It's all about the journey, not the destination."
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durian_2008
Cornucopian Eating an Elephant



Registered: 04/02/08
Posts: 18,037
Loc: Raccoon City
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: Mickalopagus]
#13379702 - 10/24/10 10:31 AM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Inside the case were colorful boxes of Macanudo and Romeo y Julieta cigars. But Mr. Hennessy imagines that the case will soon contain another smokable product — marijuana, packaged attractively because “a rolled up joint in a baggy isn’t going to do it,” he said.
I respect that this humble herb can be portrayed as a luxury good, rather than a filthy vice.
But, for simple reasons of self preservation, I don't believe that dignified people tend to be a detriment to others, such that they should be micromanaged.
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grimR
hippiousmaximous



Registered: 03/29/06
Posts: 1,235
Loc: North America
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: durian_2008]
#13379800 - 10/24/10 11:00 AM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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volunteering is the best thing we can do at this point. get out and volunteer. if I was within an hour drive of cali I would.
-------------------- - grimR -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- http://egolost.com "I am already given to the power that rules my fate. And I cling to nothing, so I will have nothing to defend. I have no thoughts, so I will see. I fear nothing, so I will remember myself." - Don Juan teachings
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bigmike7104
Stranger

Registered: 07/12/10
Posts: 1,395
Loc: USA
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: SuperD]
#13379862 - 10/24/10 11:25 AM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
SuperD said: I don't really trust any of those polls. How many people do they typically survey?
I don't know about all of the polls but some of them I was looking at only surveyed about 1000 people. How can you make an actual prediction on that small of a sample group.
-------------------- Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines
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Gastronomicus
3-0-G



Registered: 03/31/05
Posts: 9,746
Last seen: 9 days, 14 hours
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: Annapurna1]
#13380385 - 10/24/10 01:45 PM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Annapurna1 said: you can stop waiting...at this point..the polls are very clear as to the outcome...what is less clear is why prop19 crashed and burned at the last minute...
Great attitude there anna 
If you live in Cali (and if you live anywhere else in the united states for that matter) VOTE!!! VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE
-------------------- Make my Funk the P Funk, I wants to get Funked up
LAGM2024
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens



Registered: 05/21/07
Posts: 15,105
Loc: Out of this world
Last seen: 12 years, 9 months
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: bigmike7104]
#13380399 - 10/24/10 01:49 PM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
bigmike7104 said:
Quote:
SuperD said: I don't really trust any of those polls. How many people do they typically survey?
I don't know about all of the polls but some of them I was looking at only surveyed about 1000 people. How can you make an actual prediction on that small of a sample group.
Take a statistics course, that's plenty of people. Hell you only really need ~30 people.
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durian_2008
Cornucopian Eating an Elephant



Registered: 04/02/08
Posts: 18,037
Loc: Raccoon City
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Re: [CA] ‘Interested Parties’ Await Outcome of a Marijuana Measure [Re: learningtofly]
#13384125 - 10/25/10 08:13 AM (13 years, 6 months ago) |
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In short, the answer is that the people are specially screened, in the belief that they will represent a reasonable cross section of society.
Needless to say, there's room for personal interpretation of interviews and the overall meaning of numerical results.
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