Tuesday, August 21, 2018

More Medical Marijuana facilities in Lake Worth?

TITLE:
Ordinance No. 2018-12 - First Reading - banning Medical Marijuana Treatment Center Dispensing Facilities within the City of Lake Worth and and setting the second reading and public hearing for September 13, 2018

SUMMARY:
First reading of an ordinance to ban Medical Marijuana Treatment Center Dispensing Facilities within the City of Lake Worth and setting the second reading and public hearing for September 13, 2018.

We already have two facilities in Lake Worth. Two is more than enough.

However, and I had to read this several times thinking I had made a big mistake,
  • the City’s Planning & Zoning Board (PZB) recommended to the City Commission that the ordinance be denied in a 5-2 vote.
  • The City’s Historic Resources Preservation Board (HRPB) recommended to the City Commission that the amendment be denied in a 4-0 vote.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Two of the nicest, cleanest buildings on Dixie are medical marijuana dispensaries. Doesn’t bother me and it’s only a matter of time till it’s going to be legal to possess the real plant. Let’s concentrate our efforts on reducing crime, educating our youth and taking care of our senior citizens and war vets.

Anonymous said...

Why do so many people need to be high or take drugs or smoke? Is life all that bad that people have to be on drugs or high?

Dan Volker said...

The reason we SHOULD have medical marijuana dispensaries, has nothing to do with getting high. It has EVERYTHING TO DO with better health. The real issue which no one should be allowed to avoid, is that the THC in Marijuana, and the CBD in Marijuana and Hemp, are more effective in CURING cancer than chemo or radiation, and also very effective at lessening or eliminating arthritis and many other maladies that have inflammation as their cause. The human body has what is called an "Endocannabinoid System", with receptors on most cells in your body... Cannabinoids, whether made BY YOUR BODY, or consumed from plants like Hemp, Sativa, Black Pepper, Liverwort and others, are like "Keys" that unlock these receptor sites in your cells, and allow your cells to communicate with your body that they are under stress, and need help. Your own body is then able to create what it needs, to deal with the problem. Without the Marijuana THC or the Hemp CBD, the endocannabinoid system is easily overwhelmed - when more is consumed, homeostasis in the body is drastically improved--health is drastically improved in many people from this.

Lynn Anderson said...

Dan? this blog has nothing to do with what you wrote. We DO have two medical marijuana dispensaries, more than enough for a city of our population.

Dan Volker said...

Sorry Lynn... I had read this: "First reading of an ordinance to ban Medical Marijuana Treatment Center Dispensing Facilities within the City of Lake Worth and setting the second reading and public hearing for September 13, 2018.

We already have two facilities in Lake Worth. Two is more than enough."

I do not feel it would be appropriate for the Commissioners to take it upon themselves to decide we have too many restaurants or Dentists or Grocery store....Considering the dispensaries in question assist in health at least as much as the urgent care centers do ( the argument that these places often take money and pass out antibiotics for anyone that wants them) - I think the market and consumer behavior of the people in Lake Worth should control how many dispensaries we get, as well as how many urgent cares, dentists, grocery stores and cafes. I am new in visiting your blog, so perhaps I should have asked you before posting my reaction to an article here. Apologies that my post was not consistent with the reactions you were going for. In browsing your other articles, I thought they were good, and pro conservative, which I like. :-)

Lynn Anderson said...

Dan, that's what makes the world go round. Different opinions. I believe that the commission made the right decision on this.
The "consumer behavior" of the people in Lake Worth? That is where the problem might lie. The consumer in LW does not make the laws. If they did, marijuana would be legal and everyone would be smoking dope. Consumers don't make the Ordinances. They don't dictate how many of what type of businesses we have in our city.
I don't "go" for any particular reaction as I get a lot of despicable comments that I do not post. Yours is just a difference of opinion.
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hey 8:00 anon-why doesn't Palm Beach or Boca have these?? Oh yeah-because THOSE people matter and have political clout!

Dan Volker said...

To anon at 9:44.
Try reading...better still, do some research on the endocannabinoid system.

If you think this issue is about the dirtbags and trailer trash you are assuming will be the people using pot from these dispensaries, I have a news flash...they were getting pot illegally with ease before, and will continue to get it illegally whether there are 2 dispensaries or 10.....and this is because it will always be cheaper sourced the old fashioned way...illegally. People using the dispensaries will be primarily people with illnesses that can be cured or dramatically improved by THC and CBD and BCP. If you don't know exactly what each of these does in the endocannabinoid system, you have no right to an opinion, as this would be like your wanting to teach French classes even though you don't speak french. Get back to me after some reading, and we can discuss the science of this...it is fascinating.
I will give you one link to start with...I could give you dozens more....I researched this because I have a close relative that had breast cancer. Try http://reset.me/story/the-biochemist-who-cured-his-cancer-with-cannabis-oil/

Lynn Anderson said...

Dan, two dispensaries are enough. The people using these dispensaries have prescriptions for pain. This is totally different than using pot for general use that I am 100% against. And, when or if general marijuana use passes, there will be a lot of dirtbags hanging out in our city. My opinion.

Dan Volker said...

Lynn, did you even read anything I wrote?
Pain is one of many problems THC and CBD can fix. But no, the dispensaries are NOT here just for pain, they will be used for Cancer patients, by people with arthritis ( in order to reverse the arthritis in many cases), by people with various inflammatory diseases, and by people with adult diabetes. Lynn, you are way too smart to be painting this with the brush you are using. Let me take you to coffee some time next week, and acquaint you with the research, and where this will be going in the next decade. And so you know, I am very much against public smoking of pot, or even the social component of pot smoking--I see this as totally unrelated to the dispensaries. So...How about the coffee next week?

Dan Volker said...

Imagine that the dispensaries were instead.....One Vitamin Shoppe, and one GNC...and you had 3 other Health food stores willing to pay big money to be in the downtown or nearby....Would this be bad for the city in any way? What if these were very high end Doctors offices...one for reconstructive surgery, one Oncologist, and a Pediatrician wants to lease a building, as does a Psychiatrist, as does an Allergy Doc and another Dentist.... Does Lake Worth feel it should limit this form of business tenant as well? Is it only restaurants and cafes that can move in without limitation?

Lynn Anderson said...

There are certain areas where certain types of businesses can locate in our city. Not sure about the zoning for any of them. Marijuana dispensaries can only locate in a few designated places--where pharmacies can go. The legislation provides for a separation of 500 feet between dispensing facilities and schools, although local governments can reduce or waive that requirement through a public hearing process. Why do you think we need so many? Businesses come to our city to make money.

California did a study and the back-up said that the direct and indirect adverse impacts of medical marijuana sales and use in local communities indicated that medical marijuana dispensing facilities may attract or cause ancillary crimes, and may result in adverse effects, such as recreational use of marijuana in public, sale of other illegal drugs at dispensing facilities, loitering, and nuisances near dispensing facilities; and the White Paper further indicated that the presence of medical marijuana dispensing facilities may contribute to the existing of a secondary market for illegal, street-level distribution of marijuana. We already had a pill mill problem several years back and people went to jail.

Many businesses are moving out. Many stores are empty. It would be appropriate for doctors' offices to be on Federal Highway as an example or on a side street zoned appropriately near the downtown. It seems that restaurants and bars are the only ones that can afford the rents here.

Dan Volker said...

Lynn, if the commissioners want to flex their muscles and do good for the merchant mix distributed in the downtown....why can't they go after the landlords that have forced the town to loose so many good businesses. A small number of greedy landlords are essentially in control of quality of the entertainment district right now. That stinks. I am a capitalist, and I believe in small business development, but bad behavior of the few might suggest eminent domain is called for.