If you can't be there, please call Supervisor Jake McGoldrick's office and ask him to vote YES on the amendment -- (415) 554-7410, or email Jake.McGoldrick@... .
Love & Liberty,
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From: <kevinreed@...>
Date: July 26, 2007 7:15:12 AM PDT
To: "'\(Green Cross\) Staff'" <staff@...>
Subject: Todays - ASA Talking Points! Please make it if you can....
AMERICANS FOR SAFE A CCESS
City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting
Thursday, July 26th 1:00 p.m.
ASA SF Talking Points
Amendment Information
Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has taken on the difficult task of amending the Medical Cannabis Dispensary regulations to reflect the need for more time so that the city can develop an internal structure for permitting these establishments. We support Supervisor Alioto-Pier’s Legislation, with the following amendments.
Making the Voluntary ID card “Mandatory” Blocks Safe Access to Those Who Need It
There are approximately 3,000 patients in San Francisco who have applied for and received a State-issued ID card, but the estimated number of qualified patients exceeds 10,000. This indicates that 2/3rds of the city’s medical cannabis patients will soon be turned away at the doors of their current collectives if the mandatory ID card provision stays in place. However, the illnesses for which medical cannabis is recommended are often times chronic and long-standing leaving a significant percentage of the 7,000 patients without safe access to their medicine, forcing the sick to turn to the illicit market and contradicting the intent of Proposition 215 and Senate Bill 420.
Expanding the Green Zone Is Necessary to Allow Relocation and New Dispensaries
Several dispensaries have closed since the inception of the regulation and permitting process. It is crucial that the city curb the attrition by expanding the “green zones” (areas where dispensaries are allowed to exist). Please make this a priority for the Board of Supervisors.
The New Construction Standard Must be Changed to Protect Safe Access
We support the rights of people with disabilities to have access to all services, including safe access to medical cannabis. We support Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier’s activism, and we understand her intention in putting this language in the ordinance. However, we now know that this provision would close down most dispensaries because they cannot apply for an “equivalency.” Please change this language so that we can continue to have safe access in San Francisco.
The Definition of “Medical Cannabis Dispensary” Should Only Include Real Dispensaries
The 2005 ordinance was proposed in response to neighborhood concerns over the proliferation of MCDs, including perceived parking, noise and street-level disturbances. This legislation was only intended to apply to facilities that provide cannabis to patients or caregivers on-site in a publicly accessible building. The definition should be changed to define dispensaries as collectives or cooperatives that have on-site distribution of medical cannabis to qualified patients on-site distribution of medical cannabis to qualified patients in order to protect small, independent collectives and delivery services.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sorry For So Many Emails This Week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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