Does Vallejo Care?

By LaVonne Sallee

12/11/10

I am a 64 year old mother of three adult children and three (soon to be 4) Grandsons.

Some years ago I was married to an active alcoholic who, when he drank he became another personality. He was mean, cruel, aggressive and sexually perverted when drinking. Eventually the alcoholism lead to divorce.

My career as a bank fraud investigator blossomed. Tying my professional life with my personal life I found that many of the cases I worked were related to drugs and alcohol. The criminal would often have a drink or two to pump up their nerve before going into the bank to pass a forged check then use the cash to purchase drugs.

After 25 years with the bank I contracted a chronic pain condition. Working on the computer or doing any kind of repetitious movement drove the pain levels up beyond my tolerance levels. That led to my need to take an early retirement. Back and forth to the doctor I was told the only thing they could do for my pain was to prescribe narcotic drugs. I know for sure that I would rather die than to become a drug addict and I declined. The pain led to depression as I began to believe the only way to get relief was to die. I began to research different therapies and/or remedies and a common recommendation was marijuana.

Having been born in 1946 I grew up in the era that said marijuana was a very bad and dangerous drug. People who used marijuana were low class people. It was a gateway drug that would eventually lead to more dangerous drugs like cocaine and heroin. It never entered my mind that my parents, teachers and/or government would not tell me the truth. I did not know that the research that showed that people who used drugs like cocaine and heroin began with marijuana but the research never asked all the thousands and thousands of people who ever used marijuana graduated to hard drugs. They also failed to mention that people who did hard drugs drank milk as babies and maybe that was a gateway.

I began research online on the dangers of marijuana and the only Web Sites that agreed with the ideas of the 40s and 50s were government sites. Other sites related to science, medicine and history totally contradicted that old school of thought and much of the history said that marijuana became illegal just as a result of the government wanting it that way and wanting to control the population, with no real evidence that it was the problem they said it was.

My pain levels were such that most of the time I would set in my recliner, watch TV and do nothing all day except think about how miserable I was. I did not want to live like this. I went to a doctor who specializes in medical marijuana. I took him copies of my medical history from my regular doctor and he did his evaluation and I was given the letter of recommendation for medical marijuana.

WOW! I got my life back. The marijuana did not work like narcotic pain killers that numb your body. Instead, the pain without medication is like being in a room with ugly music playing full blast in the room I am in. After medical marijuana it is as if the music is still there but turned down to a very tolerable level. In that state, being distracted from the pain I was inspired to be active. I began to do Art Work. That eventually led to opening an Art Gallery in Vallejo Ca.

I have been in Vallejo for just about two years now and think I have figured out (with the help of other Merchants and citizens here in Vallejo) that Vallejo is a lot different then other cities in the Bay Area. They say that ‘THE GOOD OLD BOYS” here decide, on their own what is good for the city of Vallejo and regardless of what the citizens might want (not that they even ask) they run it the way their self righteous ways dictate. As a result, the city is bankrupt and the down town area is a ghost town.

When I read in the Times-Herald yesterday (on Wednesday the 24^{th, ,http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_16699299}) that the city has been meeting behind closed doors to create an ordinance against cannabis clubs, I was not surprised. After all, I used to be one of those brain washed people who believe what I was told about marijuana. What is worrisome though is that people in positions of power and influence don’t educate themselves on what the truth is. If they knew what was true they would see that:

• Marijuana is not the dangerous drug the government lead us to believe it was/is

• Medical Marijuana is a tremendous help to people in need

• Cannabis clubs need to be regulated not eliminated

• Cannabis clubs who sell marijuana to people who have letter of recommendation (prescription) from a doctor do not have the authority to question the validity of that letter any more that the pharmacist has the authority to reject a prescription from the doctor.

• Doctors who issue letters of recommendation need to be regulated.

• If all of the cannabis clubs in Vallejo, Bay Area, California, or the United States closed, people who want to use marijuana and are willing to go to the corner drug dealers, will get it. Chances are the 75 year old woman who is suffering from treatments of cancer will not seek out the drug dealer on the corner, she will just suffer.

• Cannabis clubs will contribute to putting the local, illegal drug dealers on the corners out of business or cause them to relocate.

A common term I hear in Vallejo is “Riff Raff” when referring to those people who use drugs or sell drugs on the corners. One person told me that either the young people who use marijuana are thugs and thieves or the older, sick or disabled people who use marijuana just set in one place and zone out all day long.

I am not Riff Raff. I am an active, productive, intelligent member of society. It is thanks to the MEDICINE I take that makes that possible. How dare people who are uneducated on the history and effects of marijuana decide to pass judgment on me and decide for me that tolerating high levels of pain is something I just have to live with. To add insult to injury, it is many of those same people who are advocating to lighten up the restrictions in the sales of alcohol. Look at the statistics, alcohol is 100 times a more destructive force that marijuana (as is cigarette smoking).

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Anonymous   |December.14.2010 SAN JOSE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES MEDICAL MARIJUANA TAX http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2010/12/13/san-jose-city-council-approves-medical-marijuana-taxes-in-special-session/

Day Late Dollar Short   |December.13.2010 This city has had people working on establishing an alcohol and tobacco retail license that has a fee attached that is meant to cover the cost of any additional city services that these type of businesses use. This has been sitting around for about four years now with no real push to get it done. If it had been in place by now, adding medical marijuana stores to regulate, inspect and monitor these types of businesses would have been easy. It certainly would have been more cost effective than taking the people to court and spending money on the legal fees. The ordinance if passed, pays for the cost of police and other city services that these types of businesses now drain from the community. It also determines which area any new businesses are located so that they do not pop up in neighborhoods or other locations that are already problem areas. (High crime) It seems that the resistance is not only coming from some of the business owners, but from the property owners who don't want the city to tell them what types of businesses they can allow on their properties. We know the history of the abundance of liquor stores popping up in Vallejo. Then it was the smoke shops. Now we are dealing with medical marijuana stores. If the community does not support the alcohol and tobacco retail license fees that would provide for regular inspections and enforcement with meaningful penalties, we will continue to be overrun with opportunistic business people who only care about the money to be made. This type of ordinance would pay for police and other city services outside of the general fund so it would not be subject to cuts when the economy goes bad. While no one likes "big government", Vallejo is in need of ordinances that monitor and inspect these high risk businesses. The property owners downtown now want to "deregulate" the amount of alcohol businesses that they want to bring in. Now is not the time to add more bars and liquor stores downtown. These type of businesses are not going to help revitalize the downtown. But these are easy money businesses and when you have property owners that want any kind of business they can find to rent out their spaces, even illegal uses like medical marijuana, you will be guaranteed to have more problems. Time for the community to start paying attention and demanding the type of ordinances that have worked in so many other cities.

Vallejo Voter   |December.13.2010 One of the goal setting items the council decided to address was a Marijuana Dispensary Ordinance after the November 2010 election. If the marijuana proposition would have passed, then the city would have been forced to enact an ordinance, now it can take its time. On 11/19 at the council meeting, the issue came up, Councilmember Hannigan emphasizing that the city does not allow the dispensaries and wants action to get them out, and Councilmember Brown reminding council that they agreed to bring the issue back to the council for discussion after the Nov. election. The mayor wanted to push that out until next year so that the City Manager to focus on the 5 year plan required for the BK court and his assessment of the needs of the city. Some on the council have spoken of dispensaries as a good revenue source, but until the item is brought back for discussion as an agenda item, we won't know the direction this council wants to take with it. Worth pushing forward and talking with the council members to see where they stand with it and pushing the council to abide by its own goal setting agreement and address this as a policy item sometime in January or February; it is a good source of revenue, but it needs to be regulated so we don't over tax our depleted police force.

LaVonne   |December.13.2010 I could be wrong as i have not been to the mtgs at the city but i am under the impression that the city does not want to regulate, license, limit etc. it just want to shut them all down and not allow even one to open. i agree, that would be the easy way. some say, have the medicine dispensed only by a Pharmacist,have it approved by the Drug and Food Admin,make sure "Pot" will mix well with the current drugs they are taking,display the THC content,limit the number of dispensaries and dont have one in "my" neighborhood. all great ideas. that should take only 10 more years and in the meantime people who use marijuana for medical purposes can just suffer if the rightious in vallejo decide that for them. for now, since medical marijuana is legal in california who about just doing the work needed to regulate it? p.s.Pot is NOT "medicine." Just like Percoset,Vicodin, Demoral, Darvocet

Vallejo Voter   |December.13.2010 Vallejo's zoning ordinances do not allow for any medical marijuana dispensaries. The city does not allow them, they cannot be permitted or licensed, so people just "open" shop and call it a dispensary. In its goal setting meetings earlier this year, the council identified the issue of creating an ordinance to address medical marijuana dispensaries so that the city can regulate, permit, license and recover all sales taxes and appropriate fees. The dispensaries can be a good revenue source for the city, but only if they are regulated correctly, if not, you'll end up with residential neighborhood shops opening up without any controls, but may require police intervention when neighbors get upset with too many customers showing up late at night or early in the morning, or hanging around the shop. If it is done right, the city can benefit by providing the means for the business to sell marijuana, the city receive revenues, and the police are not needed on a daily basis. Talk to the councilmembers; many want such an ordinance.

Mr ?   |December.12.2010 What exactly is the problem with the dispensaries? I don't understand what is wrong with dispensaries that is right with any other retail business? Would it be better if pharmacies were the dispensaries? Limiting the dispensaries will just concentrate whatever negatives you perceive.

John K   |December.12.2010 The issue is not about whether or not to allow medical marijuana. I agree with MissDirected... the issue is whether to allow "dispensaries" to pop up all over town. It's wrong for LaVonne to insinuate that people don't care about her pain when they are objecting to having these "dispensaries" pop up all over town. I think her need to defend medical marijuana has prevented her from understanding the issue. Many of of us were not "brain washed" by the arguments against marijuana. But don't we have a right to object to having pot clubs in our neighborhoods? How many of these businesses are needed to fill prescriptions? Doesn't Vallejo have 12 or more dispensaries? Aren't there 4 of them in the downtown area? Does Vallejo care? I think a lot of people who live in Vallejo care about people who have a legitimate need for medical marijuana, but many of us object to having the dispensaries located in our neighborhoods, especially heavy concentrations in some neighborhoods. Do they really need high visibility and advertising? Do citizens have a right to object to the presence of these dispensaries in their neighborhoods?

Good Grief   |December.12.2010 Your picture is scary. I don't smoke the dope. I voted for medical maryjane and have no problem with legalizing the shit. I agree that alcohol and cigs have done worse damage. Too bad the fuckups in the tobacco states won't grow it (probably do) because for sure it would be legalized via the Congress. Vallejo is has a lot of problems and so does the medical marijuana program.

INCONCEIVABLE   |December.12.2010 Good Grief, dispensaries are not tax exempt business! In fact, they're a great source of tax revenue. Just look at Oakland. If you want Safeway to carry and deliver pot, you better start lobbying congress to make marijuana legal. Congress passing a law to legalize pot? INCONCEIVABLE!

Good Grief   |December.12.2010 What is this person's problem? The law was passed, you have your Med Id, get your dope on and be grateful you have it. Screw the history lesson. Perhaps she wants Safeway to deliver it to her? Vallejo is the dumping ground for everything that is bad. We don't need a bunch of tax exempt businesses, we need jobs.

Pops   |December.12.2010 I don

A Voice In The Widerness   |December.12.2010 I have a nephew who was nearly paralyzed falling 38 ft. in Oakland a few years ago. Medical marijuana really helps his condition and he has helped his nearly miraculous neurological recovery. That all being said and done most of us don't want to subsidize stupid people smoking pot and screwing on the couch as they watch Jerry Springer. One pot dispensary in Vallejo should be able to meet the legitimate medical needs of people who really need it. You can call that Puritanical if you wish.

momster   |December.12.2010 When my mother was diagnosed of a rare pancreatic desease, she weighed no more than 80 pounds b/c she could not eat; guess what? medical marijuana gave her back her appetite while at the same time mellowing her out. She was able to put on some weight to survive a complicated surgery. Guess What: we have Marijuana dispenseries in Petaluma and Marin. In fact, Medical marijuna passed in Marin County a demographics where 80 percent of the population is college educated. The reason why medical marijuana will not pass is b/c it's were law enforcment gets their big bucks!!! I do crime stats for a living and most violant crimes; domestic violance, sexual assaults, mayhem are pretty much all alcohol related crimes!! While marijuana in not my vice; I don't see the harms in it.

Mr :O   |December.12.2010 "Do you really think we need 14 dispensaries in this town?" Doesn't matter, you want a level of policing that you are no longer able to afford. It is really that simple. Daddy says no, we can't afford that. Now you could argue that if there was just one dispensary it could charge a premium and become a cash tax cow for Vallejo. The problem is that with debt, pension and salary obligations being whatever money Vallejo has, unless you are a retired Vallejo employee you will not see any of that $. So what's the point? "it is difficult to believe that all the young people that go in there are truly ill." Why? Are all those kids on Ritalin really ill? Valium prescriptions are no problem to get. What does ill even mean in the context of psychiatric disorders?

MissDirected   |December.12.2010 Do you really think we need 14 dispensaries in this town? I have one in my nieghborhood and it is difficult to believe that all the young people that go in there are truly ill. I think "Agree" is correct on this. If it is truly a medicine - let's treat it as such and have it sold at pharmacies - not "pot clubs".

Anonymous   |December.11.2010 Lavonne you've hit the nail on the head. And, this city (the people in power) is deeply afraid of change. They are stuck in the 50s while the rest of the Bay Area blazes into the 21st century. But they love their drinks. Lets fill the downtown with alcohol (eliminate the 1000 foot rule) but make sure pot is done away with. There certainly are problem Cannabis Clubs. But Vallejo City council majority are puritans (even gay Wilson) and they definitely are NOT problem solvers.

Someone Else   |December.11.2010 Agree, One of the benefits of pot is that it can be smoked, which is a big deal if you're facing an illness or treatment that leaves you unable to keep down food. Add together the munchies that pot brings on, and it's very good for treating wasting illnesses. That said, I'd like to see pot regulated with the THC content displayed, like any other drugs.

Agree   |December.11.2010 I totally agree that Pot is "medicine." Just like Percoset,Vicodin, Demoral, Darvocet and other serious drugs. I dont want to see any one dispensing any drugs that is not a Pharmacist. I dont want to see patients going into a corner store that has not been approved by the Drug and Food Admin. How many workers disensing pot to patients are going to consult with the patient first to make sure "Pot" will mix well with the current drugs they are taking? I actually hate to see folks starting a "smoking habit" putting pollutants into their sick and compromised lungs. Pot is medicine just like any other medicine and should be dispensed and regulated as such.

Valerie Nelson   |December.11.2010 Medical marijuana was the only thing that really helped my brother as he struggled with cancer and chemotherapy. If it hadn't been available legally I don't know how I would have found some, but I would have. Regulation and compassion needed here.

Inigo Montoya   |December.11.2010 A couple of days ago my wife went to see her doctor who is currently fighting cancer. The doctor said the 5th and 6th rounds of chemo nearly killed her. Guess what, marijuana was the only thing that provided relief and gave her appetite. This doctor is not Riff Raff.

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