If you frequent medical marijuana collectives in Los Angeles, you’ve probably noticed the upcoming Proposition D and Measure F that will be on the May 21st ballot. While many collectives are pushing for Measure F to pass, as it allows ALL collectives (many of which are ILLEGAL) to stay open, Measure D is our best bet to keep safe and accessible medical marijuana in Los Angeles.
Why is keeping all collectives open a bad thing? The City of Los Angeles has proven that it is incompetent at enforcing current MMJ collective law. When the city shuts down one illegal collective, another rises from its ashes, thanks to poor legislature and enforcement. This is a problem because the Federal DEA will come in and close everyone down, since it can no longer trust the city itself to enforce its laws. Then there won’t be any collectives at all!
Prop D allows the first 135 collectives that obtained licenses to remain open. This is beneficial because the collectives that are still around after all this time are very clearly legal and law-abiding. The ones that were not have already been shut down. This allows the Los Angeles law enforcement to better enforce the law and make sure that they are able to control the number of collectives in the city (which, at this time, is over 1,400!) That way, the DEA will not have to get involved and shut down everyone. Measure F advocates say that this will encourage cannabis “superstores”, despite the fact that there are ALREADY superstores with the 1,400+ collectives currently in existence! Most superstores are illegal anyway and will not be protected by Prop D.
Prop D also has stricter zoning laws, making sure that collectives stay away from schools, libraries, childcare centers, public parks, places of worship, and other collectives. Measure F advocates lie and say that Prop D does not keep collectives away from schools, when in fact Prop D has stricter zoning laws than Measure F.
Prop D also limits collective hours from 10 AM to 8 PM. No more 15+ hour collectives that promote shady dealings. Measure F only limits the hours from 10 AM to 10 PM, which encourage staff to work unreasonably long days.
Who is supporting Prop D? Properly registered collectives and their employees and patients, neighborhood leaders, unions (United Food & Commercial Workers Local 770), non-profit advocacy groups (Americans for Safe Access), the Los Angeles City Council, and elected officials (including former Los Angeles District Attorney Gil Garcetti and Los Angeles City Councilmember and medical marijuana patient Bill Rosendahl). Who is supporting Measure F? Illegal/improperly registered collectives and their employees, uninformed patients who are unaware of the dangers of the DEA coming in and shutting everyone down, and generally anyone who will benefit from illegal collectives staying in business, including cartels and gang members.
Don’t be fooled by Measure F’s lies and the people who seek to reap the benefit of illegal collectives. Vote for Proposition D and keep law-abiding medical marijuana collectives in our city, so our patients can continue to receive safe, affordable, and accessible medicine.
Click here to visit the “Yes on D” website and donate/support the cause!
