Medical marijuana: Fort Collins voters to decide about retail ban (again)

By William Breathes Wed., Jun. 27 2012 at 4:20 PM

www.raymartinez.com

"I think they just want a second shot at putting another slant on what they want the voters to believe," he says. "They want medical use for people who don't need it for medicinal use. The ones who do need it for medicinal use have been getting it for ten years without a storefront."

Martinez went on to say that repealing the dispensary ban would be made obsolete if voters approve the Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, which would allow for retail sales and decriminalized possession of limited amounts of marijuana.

"In some respects, they lose either way," Maritnez maintains. "If the statewide initiative passes, it renders the medicinal stores useless."

Martinez points to the high cost of going to a doctor and paying the state to receive a medical marijuana card as major factors that would contribute to the decline of the MMJ industry if Amendment 64 passes.

That almost sounds as if he's in favor of recreational marijuana stores over medical marijuana stores. But Martinez refuses to say whether or not CFCC would push a ban of recreational marijuana storefronts should Amendment 64 be approved. He calls it a "moot point," because he's not sure whether or not Amendment 64 would allow for local municipality bans.

FYI, Ray: It does.

And although Martinez assures us that his group based its MMC ban on the ability to prohibit dispensaries by law and not on principle, it isn't hard to see how an organization opposed to state-legal medical marijuana sales in Fort Collins wouldn't feel just as negatively toward recreational-cannabis stores.

Ackerman admits that even if the repeal is passed, the fear of another attempt to approve a ban during an off-year election has made most dispensary owners gun-shy about opening up again. "My indication that I have gotten so far [from other owners] is that they certainly have not been showing a great degree of interest," he admits.

"The way that it is set up with the local option, this could go on and on until somebody at the state level does something to change it," he continues. "Maybe to say that it can only happen in presidential election years or something like that. Our hope is that the voters in the community will tire of it after two go-arounds with it, and say, 'Hey, this is a good thing for our community.'"

Proponents of overturning the ban say that closing the shops forced medical marijuana patients away from regulated, monitored and state-legal dispensaries and into private homes. UFCW organizing director Mark Belkin believes the ban has also cost the town hundreds of jobs and will cut off nearly $500,000 in taxes in the first year alone.

Tags:

Concerned Fort Collins Citizens, dispensary ban, Fort Collins, medical marijuana, Ray Martinez, Steve Ackerman

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Rpettener

Silly heartless fucks try living here in the uk where we smoke weed that has glass in it! Least in Collins it's controlled and produced safe.. It's a natural herb not a tablet made from various chemicals that clearly don't work for everyone!

Donkey Hotay

You're drunk again, aren't you boy?

Ice Pick

useless link to non-related issue. Donkey is a shill for the alcohol lobby.

Donkey Hotay

Close ... but No Cigar! Those are total arrests for ALL marijuana offenses, all weights, all sales, all cultivation quantities . A64 does NOT legalize marijuana as the lying proponents falsely claim, it regulates pathetically tiny amounts, does not allow individual sales, nor any functional self-reliant cultivation. The Tiny Limits of A64 only allow for 1 (one) ounce possession, and only for those over 21 years old. In Colorado, current state law has already decriminalized possession of 2 (two) ounces, for all adults age 18 and over. So there is NO functional advantage provided by A64, which in fact has a LOWER limit and HIGHER age requirement. So now you're left with only the Cultivation portion of A64 -- again the pathetic, dysfunctional and impractical limits imposed by A64 are no more than 3 (three) flowering pot plants, indoors only, and again only for those 21 and older. So unless you can uncover 10,000 arrests of these mythical 3-Plant Farmers, A64 once again FAILS to provide any real harm reduction or functional benefit to the actual Marijuana Users and Growers in Colorado. What you're left with is the reality that A64 would still allow the arrest and prosecution of those 12,000 victims you've cited, who were all either possessing more than 2 ounces -- otherwise no arrest under Colorado law -- or were Selling pot -- no protection under A64 -- or were likely Cultivating 4 or more producing pot plants. A64 = NO TANGIBLE REDUCTION in Arrests! A64 = an empty, deceptive, pro-law enforcement, pro-tax, pro-government regulation joke.

Donkey Hotay

Stupid to suppose that the mendacious prevaricators behind the sham A64 who've claimed that it would "prevent 10,000 arrests" in Colorado would actually have ANY facts or examples to back up their ABSURDLY FALSE claim ? How about supplying data to support just 1% of that lie -- provide 100 examples of adults over 21 years old who've been arrested for Cultivating 3 (three) or fewer flowing pot plants in Colorado. [cue crickets chirping]

Melekalikimaka

Here's some proof of 10,000 arrests... actually over 12,000 arrests in 2007 I believe. http://www.drugscience.org/States/CO/CO.pdf

Donkey Hotay

0-4-287 - ARTICLE XVIII - Miscellaneous Art. XVIII - Miscellaneous "Not later than June 1, 2001, the state health agency shall develop and make available to residents of Colorado an application form for persons seeking to be listed on the confidential registry of patients. By such date, the state health agency shall also enact rules of administration, including but not limited to rules governing the establishment and confidentiality of the registry, the verification of medical information, the issuance and form of registry identification cards, communications with law enforcement officials about registry identification cards that have been suspended where a patient is no longer diagnosed as having a debilitating medical condition, and the manner in which the agency may consider adding debilitating medical conditions to the list provided in this section.

Donkey Hotay

So provide the DATA and FACTS to back up your assertions -- 1) How many adults over 21 years old are arrested for Cultivating 3 (three) or fewer flowering marijuana plants in Colorado ? 2) How many adults over 21 are arrested for Possession of 1 (one) ounce or less in Colorado ? So far, you and the other prevaricating pimps behind A64 have FAILED to produce A SINGLE CASE, must less the absurdly mendacious 10,000 claimed.

Robert Chase

The only deception going on are the lies about cannabis which sustain Prohibition and Prohibitionists and your crazy insinuations and claims that people are not being arrested for growing a few plants or possession of under two ounces of cannabis. It is hard to imagine that anyone who uses cannabis is stupid enough to believe that, but if they are, it is not hard to see how they have no inkling that the statistics you clamor for do not exist.

Robert Chase

Stupid to suppose that he would or should know the answer. You will never make your case to anyone with half a brain until you learn how to make definite, logically connected assertions instead of asking insinuating questions.

Robert Chase

Nitwit!

Muzzy Lu

Just legalize marijuana! It is much better for people than prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco or bad illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin, and meth. Great e-book on medical marijuana: MARIJUANA - Guide to Buying, Growing, Harvesting, and Making Medical Marijuana Oil and Delicious Candies to Treat Pain and Ailments by Mary Bendis, Second Edition. This book has great recipes for easy marijuana oil, delicious Cannabis Chocolates, and tasty Dragon Teeth Mints.

Robert Chase

C.R.S. 12-43.3-103 (2) (a): "Prior to July 1, 2011, a county, city and county, or municipality may adopt and enforce a resolution or ordinance licensing, regulating, or prohibiting the cultivation or sale of medical marijuana." (emphasis added) You do work at being annoying, demanding that every phrase be spelled out to the letter, and at inducing me to provide references to what you already know to be true -- you are a tedious, libellous, obfuscator!

Donkey Hotay

So you don't support Free Market Capitalism ? You favor Big Government Regulation, Taxation, Restriction and Control now ?

Donkey Hotay

Another one of Robert's legal fantasies ... If Robert declares it "illegal" then it is, even when it isn't, it's simply the entire Executive and Judicial branches of Government ignoring his declarations.