LANCC meeting report
Monday, October 5th, 2009Jennifer from the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance (GLACA) and the Fountain of Wellbeing sent this report on the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Committee’s summit this weekend, where medical cannabis was a hot-button issue:
“I just got back from the Neighborhood Council Summit and wanted to send out a quick note about the experience. It was a long event where many of the Neighborhood Councils were gathered to debate several issues throughout the day. One issue being the proliferation of medical marijuana facilities in their neighborhoods. Mr. Leonard Shaffer, the former LA District Attorney, facilitated the discussion on medicinal marijuana. A panel had been constructed, as Mr. Shaffer stated, not as a pro or con panel but just as panel, though pro v con seemed to be how it worked out. Jane Usher, from the City Attorney’s office, Scott McNeely, a neighborhood council member who co-authored a ‘white paper’ on the illegality of medical marijuana, and James O’Sullivan sat at one table while Don and I sat at the other table.
The discussion was started with 2 questions. 1. Should medical marijuana collectives be allowed in the City of Los Angeles and if so, 2. Where should they be located and how should the be regulated. The debate was lively at times, points made on both sides of the debate, most of their points being contradicted. It was actually a fun moment to sit there and listen to the con side give some ‘information to the room’ in regards to testing samples ‘purchased’ from mmj facilities and finding large amounts of pesticides on the sample– while to the pro side it sounded like a perfect introduction to the next public speaker, Michael B. from Cornerstone who was able to point out the misunderstanding there was about the accurate testing procedures and abilities to the panel. Science is a science.
But all in all I think that what the neighborhood councils want are more involvement in the regulatory process. They want to feel that their input and concerns are heard. They are rightly concerned about the number of facilities that have opened in their neighborhoods. The Summit group voted to form a task force/advisory board for the regulations. This advisory board will consist of members of each of the neighborhood councils that want to send a representative, a member of the patient population, a member of law enforcement and a member from the collective operators alliance (aka GLACA). To many of us, this may sound much like the working group, the only difference is that the neighborhood councils will be involved. So, numbers & emails were exchanged and hopefully a more solidified relationship can begin with GLACA and the neighborhood councils.
While the summit left us with no concrete decisions, it was a day to move GLACA forward in the eyes of the neighborhood councils. They seemed to have confidence in facilities that self regulate. So props for GLACA facilities!! !!! Our regulations are finally being recognized.
I would like to thank ALL of you that showed up and spoke. We had the room listening and that is what is important.
So here we move– onward and hopefully upward–
With respect,
Jennifer “
