DC Council rejects emergency legislation to restore the 300ft buffer between dispensaries and schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good lord, who cares?

Kids under 21 aren't even allowed to buy pot, why does it matter if it's being sold to legal, consenting adults in the vicinity?

If stores are selling to underage kids, that's a completely separate problem and can be dealt with separately without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Nobody flips their lid over restaurants serving cocktails or supermarkets selling beer near schools, why would pot be any different?

The ABCA Board explained yesterday that only establishments with liquor licenses this close to schools were grandfathered in or were there first before schools chose to open. So that’s a false comparison. There are also more avenues to protest alcohol licenses than cannabis licenses.

DP. Which is crazy if you think about it. So messed up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I give up. We are moving. Just hope this mentality doesn't affect the whole of America and there are still some pockets of sanity to escape to.

You should not be allowed to leave the shithole you created by voting for leftist scum.

+1.

I'm a moderate Republican so, even as a DC native, DC has never felt like a place where my local vote created anything. I am supporting ranked voting before I go, though I still haven't determined if the Density Bros will use it to maneuver to further power. They are wily. But it should open up pathways for moderate candidates too.

Not to worry, the Density Bros come from both sides of the political aisle. One of their lead DC operatives even worked as Trump's national polling advisor.

I understand that and I don't support their efforts, whichever side they come from. I do think ranked voting is a good idea, with an eye out for the bros. Due to neighborhood complacency, they seeded the Ward 3 ANCs with their people in a stealth campaign. I have never voted for a loony leftist in DC though. Usually there are some lonely moderate independents, Republicans or moderate Dems in the running that I can choose - even knowing they will lose. And yes I do read up on candidates platforms, records and proposals before I head out to vote. I vote based on promises and performance more than party. Tony Williams (a Dem) was uniquely good for our town. I miss him and think he was under appreciated.

[Anonymous]

These places are magnets for violent crime, valuable product and a lot of cash (credit cards can't be used, just cash and debit cards). Should not be anywhere near schools. Look at the guy just shot to death in daytime in one on Georgia Ave. recently.

[Anonymous]

Shame on Antia Bonds! The rest are useless but she should have known better.

[Anonymous]

https://www.hillrag.com/2023/02/07/does-gray-market-cannabis-breed-robberies/

Terrible idea, brings violent crime.

That these places are going in in Palisades and Chevy Chase DC is startling.

https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/03/26/marijuana-medical-cannabis-palisades-schools

[Anonymous]

One big factor the ABCA board focused on throughout yesterday’s protest hearing is that the dispensary trying to open across from a school is a medical cannabis dispensary, not one of the gray-market gifting shops. The board seems to think that this fact alone resolves the community’s concerns about crime, loitering, etc. because these medical dispensaries are—according to the board—“well-regulated.” The board seems to think that none of the blight that surrounds the gray-market shops happens near a medical dispensary. However, anyone with eyes can see this is patently wrong. When you have a system that allows anyone to go online and self-certify as needing medical cannabis, the “medical” distinction ceases to lose any meaning and the impact on the community is the same as with the gifting shops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.hillrag.com/2023/02/07/does-gray-market-cannabis-breed-robberies/

Terrible idea, brings violent crime.

That these places are going in in Palisades and Chevy Chase DC is startling.

https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/03/26/marijuana-medical-cannabis-palisades-schools

It’s startling for these places to go in ANYWHERE in such close proximity to a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One big factor the ABCA board focused on throughout yesterday’s protest hearing is that the dispensary trying to open across from a school is a medical cannabis dispensary, not one of the gray-market gifting shops. The board seems to think that this fact alone resolves the community’s concerns about crime, loitering, etc. because these medical dispensaries are—according to the board—“well-regulated.” The board seems to think that none of the blight that surrounds the gray-market shops happens near a medical dispensary. However, anyone with eyes can see this is patently wrong. When you have a system that allows anyone to go online and self-certify as needing medical cannabis, the “medical” distinction ceases to lose any meaning and the impact on the community is the same as with the gifting shops.

Agree with this and also: the current plan is to convert the gifting shops to medical dispensaries so that they CAN be regulated. So... regulate them. Like by not allowing them to operate close to schools.

The arguments by McDuffie and White are especially infuriating because they involve zero logic. As a longtime Ward 5 resident, I'm feel confident McDuffie is literally in the pocket of the cannabis businesses -- I think that guy is on the take. White I think might just be dumb.

[Anonymous]

One of the ABCA board members is a former McDuffie staffer - so yeah.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I have had it. Wtf is wrong with Mendelson???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One big factor the ABCA board focused on throughout yesterday’s protest hearing is that the dispensary trying to open across from a school is a medical cannabis dispensary, not one of the gray-market gifting shops. The board seems to think that this fact alone resolves the community’s concerns about crime, loitering, etc. because these medical dispensaries are—according to the board—“well-regulated.” The board seems to think that none of the blight that surrounds the gray-market shops happens near a medical dispensary. However, anyone with eyes can see this is patently wrong. When you have a system that allows anyone to go online and self-certify as needing medical cannabis, the “medical” distinction ceases to lose any meaning and the impact on the community is the same as with the gifting shops.

1. There is no such thing as a “medical” dispensary. Marijuana has not been approved for use by the FDA.

2. Even if this were a legitimate “medical” situation the point would be mute because you can self certify your way into a marijuana card. No doctor needed at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good lord, who cares?

Kids under 21 aren't even allowed to buy pot, why does it matter if it's being sold to legal, consenting adults in the vicinity?

If stores are selling to underage kids, that's a completely separate problem and can be dealt with separately without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Nobody flips their lid over restaurants serving cocktails or supermarkets selling beer near schools, why would pot be any different?

I care. My kids go to school there. I don’t want the school to have to divert scarce resources from learning to expanded supervision and security at dismissal if this application is approved. I don't want my kids to no longer be able to play outside or go outside for lunch during the school day. I don’t want to deal with double parked cars and couriers picking up delivery orders. I don’t want more traffic on that block leading to more frustrated drivers and increasing the risk that kids get hit crossing the cross walks on the way to the metro. I don’t want the allure of cannabis around impressionable young kids.

+ 1,000,000. I also don’t really want my 11 year old to have to navigate the sidewalk on her own through a bunch of people standing around smoking pot or just loitering on the sidewalk. We all see what happens outside of these facilities across the city, regardless of whether they are a “medical” dispensary or a gifting shop.

The degree to which so many of you have zero qualms about the risks of normalizing drug use among kids is scary. There have been countless studies over the years about how kids who are consistently exposed to others using alcohol, drugs and cigarettes are FAR more likely to engage in those activities themselves. And we’re not just talking about high school kids who are going to be seeing this activity every day. The majority of the students at the school range in age from 10-13.

Anyone who claims this is no big deal clearly doesn’t have kids.

Exactly. Even though marijuana was effectively decriminalized in DC for home use, many MPD officers interpret that as "legalized." It has not been legalized, particularly not for public consumption. The problem is that police in DC are more likely to do something about someone sipping from an open alcohol container on a public sidewalk that some lowlifes handing around in public space -- even near a school -- smoking pot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the ABCA board members is a former McDuffie staffer - so yeah.

A "McPuffie" staffer?

[Anonymous]

The city council seems intent on running this city into the ground. We are the nation’s capitol for chrissakes.

[Anonymous]

The proliferation of head shops overall are so unattractive. Yuck. Also, they should be required to have life size posters of young people who need to have lung transplants from vaping. Medical is what you'll need when you head down the recreational smoking anything road. I realize the medical dispensary is different from a head shop, but it also doesn't need to be near a school. It's bizarre how hard it is for a venue to get a liquor license or have a band play (god forbid we have a few extra decibals) but this is "fine". Idiots.