Oakland City Council Approves Measure To Regulate Medical Marijuana Clubs
As expected, the Oakland City Council on Tuesday voted 7-0 to approve a measure that will reduce the number of medical marijuana clubs in the city from 12 to four, the Oakland Tribune reports. Under the measure, medical marijuana clubs must apply by March 31 for business permits, which will cost from $5,000 for small clubs to $20,000 for those facilities that serve more than 1,500 patients. The city manager will select the four medical marijuana clubs that will receive permits by May 17 (Counts, Oakland Tribune, 2/5). The measure, which was co-sponsored by City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and Council member Jean Quan, also prohibits clubs from making excessive profits, allows the city to review their financial records and requires the clubs to disperse because of a city law that requires medical marijuana vendors to be 1,000 feet apart. The measure also restricts the amount of marijuana a patient can possess to eight ounces and six mature plants and prohibits patients from smoking marijuana in the clubs where they purchase it (California Health Line, 2/4). The measure takes effect June 1 (Oakland Tribune, 2/5). Medical marijuana clubs that do not receive permits and do not close by June 1 may face prosecution, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The council agreed to review the measure and possibly make changes to it after six months (Zamora, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/5).
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