Dispensary operations course on Jan. 24 is postponed
Saturday, January 21st, 2012The course on medical cannabis cooperative and collective operations originally planned for January 24 in Pasadena has been postponed. I will announce a new date soon.
New medcial cannabis co-op & collective operations course – Sept. 27 in Pasadena
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011Don Duncan and Yami Bolanos are widely known for their work as activists, collective operators, consultants and educators in the medical cannabis industry. The MCC Training Program is pleased to host this dynamic duo and the unique seminar they have developed for Collective and Cooperator Operators, those who contemplate opening a medical cannabis collective, or professionals who would like to service these entities.
Don and Yami developed the MCC 136 Seminar for the specific purpose of providing information to Collective or Cooperative Operators that will support the protection of medical cannabis facilities and the improvement of operations and patient member services. Additionally, they will take participants completely through the process of setting up a collective or cooperative. The course covers the nuts and bolts of how to do this correctly, and the political and government hurdles that must be overcome to establish and maintain a medical cannabis facility.
Laguna Woods
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009Tonight, I was the guest of Concerned Citizens of Laguna Woods for a community meeting to discuss medical cannabis. Laguna Woods is the only city in Orange County to adopt an ordinance regulating medical cannabis collectives. The city’s decision to authorize a storefront patients’ association is remarkable because it is the result of a grassroots movement in a city where the average resident is 78 years old.
Other panelists at tonight’s meeting included City Manager Leslie Keane, Dr. Bill Schwied, nurse and medical cannabis patient Margo Bouer, and recently retired O.C. County Superior Court Judge Jim Gray. Judge Gray is a leading spokesperson for cannabis and medical cannabis law reform. His eloquent comments drew loud applause from the crowd of almost 200 seniors.
The ordinance in Laguna Woods is an important historic development, but it is also in need of improvement. The single collective authorized may only serve residents of the city between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. The ordinance also requires the still hypothetical collective to be located 1,000 feet from a very broad range of uses, including a “youth oriented establishment” – a hopelessly subjective term that could apply to a 7-11 store, shopping mall, or pizza parlor.
Even regulations adopted for a city of only 18,000 senior citizens can have unanticipated impact on implementation in other cities and counties. Observant advocates will recognize many of the provisions of the Laguna Hills ordinance in recommendations for permanent regulations sent to the full City Council by the Los Angeles Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee this week.
Rhode Island Shows the Way
Monday, May 25th, 2009“The tiny state of Rhode Island took a big step last week when the House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing nonprofit associations to “acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, supply, or dispense marijuana” to legal patients. The Senate has already adopted a similar bill, and the 63 to 5 margin in the House makes the bill veto-proof. Patients and caregivers in Rhode Island may be the first to acquire medicine from 100% legal dispensing associations…”
Read the entire post on the ASA blog – Medical Cannabis: Voices from the Frontlines.
Sacramento takes a “timeout”
Monday, May 25th, 2009
Councilmember Steve Cohn
Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Cohn told the Sacramento Bee that the City Council may vote to adopt a moratorium on new medical cannabis collectives and cooperatives as soon as June 2. “It’s not that we don’t want any marijuana dispensaries,” the Councilmember told reporter Ryan Lillis, “What it means is, we already have quite a few in the city, and we want to take a timeout and see where we’re at.” Advocates in Sacramento have expected a moratorium since the number of patients’ associations mushroomed in that city over the last year.
Lanette Davies, the Sacramento coordinator for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), and other local advocates have been talking with elected officials there about adopting sensible regulations and preventing the kind of public backlash that the proliferation of storefront collectives and cooperatives generated in other cities. Improving local regulations is an important goal of ASA’s California Campaign, and research shows that sensible guidelines reduce crime and complaints around facilities.
