Action Alert:
Denver City Council Public Hearing
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CALL AND EMAIL THE DENVER CITY COUNCIL
Tell them to vote "NO" on the Medical
Marijuana Dispensary Ordinance
It will force 80% of dispensaries out of business and raise prices
for patients.
Call Denver City Council
720-865-9534
Strong public outcry killed Senator Romer's bill
and stopped the Board of Health from capping the number of patients
per caregiver in July.
We can do the same for the Denver bill.
Call Denver City Council
720-865-9534
Email: dencc@denvergov.org
Background
The Denver City Council will hold the Final Hearing and Public
Comment on Council Bill 34: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Regulation.
You can read the latest version here:
http://www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com/bills/
The most onerous and burdensome provisions of the ordinance still
remain in the final draft, and many are blatantly unconstitutional
This ordinance will restrict a patient's Constitutional right to
have safe access to their medicine and to decide who may be their
caregiver. The ordinance allows searches without warrant or even
probable cause, in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The ex post
facto nature of the law (making previous legal activities illegal)
undermines the Constitution from yet another angle.
The City of Denver aims to recriminalize patients and their caregivers,
force small businesses out of town, and allow only for mega-dispensaries
to be able to afford to operate. It does nothing to address the
real needs of patients to have more access to less expensive medicine
or to protect them from discrimination and prosecution. Please contact
the Denver City Council and ask them to vote NO on this proposed
ordinance and attend the public hearing if you can on Jan. 11.
1) Denver City Council
Final Hearing and Public Comment
Council Bill 34: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
When: Mon., Jan. 11, 2010
Time: Council Meeting starts at 5:30 pm
Where: Council Chambers, Room 450
City & County Building,
1437 Bannock Street, Denver, CO
On the west side of the Civic Center Park.
Email: Denver City Council dencc@ci.denver.co.us
Special Rules for the Public Hearing
It looks like the City of Denver expects a contentious hearing,
because they have put together a special list of rules in case any
medical cannabis patients, caregivers or advocates engage in "disruptive
behavior" in their exercise of their First Amendment rights.
Some of the special rules include:
- limiting total testimony to 2 hours
- will not let anyone testify if they don't fill out a Speaker Card
and turn it in to staff by 5:30pm
- will limit testimony to 2-3 minutes
- will allow no standing room; so everyone get there
Here is a link to the all the rules:
Special
instructions for the Public Comment portion of the meeting
2) Contact the Denver City Council
Denver City Council Main Office
City & County Bldg.
1437 Bannock St., Rm. 451
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 720-865-9534
Fax: 720-865-9540
Email: dencc@denvergov.org
Web: http://www.denvergov.org/CityCouncil
Main Point
The main point we want to get across is for the Denver City Council
to vote NO on the proposed Medical Marijuana Ordinance and replace
it with a Study Group to study the issue and make recommendations.
Sample Phone Script
First, introduce yourself. If you are a patient, tell the City Council
how cannabis has helped you. Then say something like:
"Could you please tell the City Council to vote NO on the
Medical Marijuana Ordinance. The ordinance should be rejected in
its entirety and replaced by a Study Group, composed of patients,
caregivers, law enforcement, and physicians. The Study Group should
research reasonable regulations for the City of Denver that will
protect patients and allow them safe access to affordable medicine."
Talking points
You can use any of these talking points in your phone calls, emails,
postcards or faxes:
1) The restrictions contained in the Denver ordinance will:
· Restrict a patient's Constitutional right to have safe
access to their medicine.
· Drive prices up
· Eliminate small businesses: Only well-funded dispensaries
will be able to afford to operate.
· Drive smaller businesses back underground into the black
market.
· Reduce variety and consistency of medicines by reducing
competition
2) No restrictions on density.
The Denver ordinance enacts the restrictive zoning requirements
that dispensaries should not be within 1000 feet of each other.
Medical cannabis businesses are not all the same, and different
businesses serve different needs. To put arbitrary limits on density
will force patients to go farther and pay more for their medicine.
3) No restrictions on caregiver traits.
The Denver ordinance would deny a dispensary license to any person
who had been convicted of a felony in the last five years. Restrictions
on caregiver personal traits are un-Constitutional. There should
be no background checks or tests of moral character to be a caregiver.
Ninety percent of all Coloradans may be eligible to be part of the
Medical Marijuana Registry at some point in their lives. If we discriminate
against caregivers based on background, many of the most qualified
caregivers will be eliminated, and many eligible patients will be
denied the quality of care they are entitled to under the Constitution.
4) No warrantless raids on dispensaries.
The Denver ordinance allows law enforcement to perform compliance
checks on dispensaries to determine "that the source and quantity
of any marijuana found upon the licensed premises is in full compliance
with any applicable state law or regulation." This amounts
to unannounced raids on dispensaries at any time, without a warrant
or even probable cause to suspect wrongdoing.
5) License fees too expensive.
The Denver ordinance requires a $2000 application fee and $3000
annual registration fee. These fees are outrageous and the costs
will be transferred to the patients.
6) Additional licensing unnecessary.
Caregiver businesses already register with the Department of
Revenue for a sales tax license. Any additional licensing requirements
would force small caregivers out of business, reduce competition,
and drive prices for medicine up even more, increasing the burden
on patients.
7) No restrictions on proximity to schools, child care centers,
etc.
The Denver ordinance requires dispensaries to be at least 1,000
feet away from a school or child care center. There has been no
documented evidence of a child purchasing medical marijuana from
any dispensary in Colorado. Children are smart enough to know that
they can't go in a liquor store or a sex shop, so they should be
able to be taught not to go into medical cannabis businesses.
Caregivers Unite to Help Patients
If you are a caregiver, now is the time that you must "do more"
for your patients by teaching them to become grassroots lobbyists.
1) Design a Cannabis Action Center in your business dedicated to
having patients contact elected officials. The first target will
be the Denver City Council. Later, we will start targeting the state
legislature.
2) Your Cannabis Action Center at minimum needs to contain a dedicated
phone and writing materials.
3) Encourage each of your patients to take a few minutes to call
an elected official before they leave your shop. Make sure your
dedicated phone is never idle.
4) Most people have never called an elected representative in their
life and get nervous. Empower your patients to become grassroots
lobbyists and make their first call using the sample script and
the talking points included in this Action Alert.
5) Most people get over their nervousness after the first call.
You can then encourage these newly-created activist patients to
train other people how to make phone calls, further empowering your
patient-base.
6) You can also have patients send letters, postcards, faxes and
emails.
7) Repost this Action Alert on social networking sites or email
to your contact lists. Encourage others to pass it on as well. The
only thing that has ever protected the Constitution from overzealous
government restrictions has been the vocal opposition of the citizens.
8) Print this free "Another Business for Patient Rights"
poster and display it proudly in a prominent location to show your
support for patient rights:
http://www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com/advocacy/business.pdf
Remember to cc us on any correspondence with legislators: info@cannabistherapyinstitute.com
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Provided as a Public Service by the:
Cannabis Therapy Institute
P.O. Box 19084, Boulder, CO 80308
Phone: 877-420-4205
Web: www.CannabisTherapyInstitute.com
Email: info@cannabistherapyinstitute.com
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