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Written by Justin Baker
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Saturday, 12 March 2005 |
All Dist 2 candidates support tax and regulate option for cannabis
All nine candidates for Oakland's Dist. 2 City Council seat came out in favor of taxing and regulating sales of marijuana to adults during a Mar. 4 debate cablecast from City Hall. With the abrupt resignation of Danny Wan comes a mail-in election ending May 17 for the District 2 seat.
On the question of implementing Measure Z, Oakland’s voter mandate to advance this process, candidates Pamela Drake, Justin Horner, Todd Plate, Aimee Allison, Shirley Gee, Peggy Moore and Paul Garrison all voiced their support for the plan and also for seeing it implemented at the local level as well as being carried to a statewide
level.
Two candidates appeared more interested in making
excuses than in making progress. Patricia Kernighan and David Kakishiba
both claimed to support the “tax and regulate sales” concept but said
any local change must wait for the state to act first.
Moore cited Oaksterdam to show how local business
people who work hard and turn around a blighted neighborhood are
punished by the Council but asserted that, if elected, she would see to
it that O’dam and others get the support they deserve.
Drake said it’s time to implement Measure Z to generate tax revenue so
the City should pursue having it authorized at the state level. If
elected, she would make sure the lobbying is done. To a direct
question about implementing Z, Drake said it’s just common sense to tax
and regulate cannabis since “it’s already a big industy,” and it was
wrong for the Council to have closed down many of the hard
working retailers who had created jobs and opportunities in O’dam.
“These folks were among the best to keep that neighborhood safe and
clean,” she said.
Allison agreed that Oakland needs its
cannabis-friendly district, adding “it should not stop there.”
Statewide reforms should be made to allow all communities who wish to
develop this tax opportunity, and Oakland should seize its moment now
to revitalize neighborhoods and become a unique “tourist destination
spot.”
Horner said that he voted for Z, “as most people
did,” since marijuana arrests are just a waste of police time. He
voiced his “committment not only to retailers” but also to seeing to it
that cannabis consumers are treated with respect by Oakland police.
Garrison echoed Moore’s comments that the way that
the City had shut down so many medical marijuana dispensaries showed a
failure of leadership by Wan. While he acknowledged that the zoning
issues had been complicated by the location of a youth center in the
area, “the City should have been more poractive to find creative
solutions. This is a challenging new ground for us.”
“The voters got it right,” said Ghee, and added her
support for Z. She said she would not do it in a way that would have
large commrecial operations run things and would rather see the
creation of smaller, neighborhood-style dispensaries.
Outgoing councilmember Danny Wan signed the official
“no” argument and actively campaigned against measure Z, and his chief
of staff, candidate Kernighan voiced a similar sentiment. “I totally
support it on a statewide basis,” she said, and she would advocate it
at the state level, “but we can’t do it here alone.”
Similarly, candidate Kakishiba said he, too, wants
reform but had signed the “no” argument against Z because he sees the
situation as futile. “It won’t turn the drug war around,” he said.
Marijuana reform has to happen “at the sate level, not locally.” He
also said the ordinance does not address the question of how users are
treated or of adolescent use.
“We’re talking about adult use, not kids,” Drake
reminded him during the debate. “It’s time for Oakland City Council to
go to the state and say, ‘tax and regulate.’ ” |
Justin Baker |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 04 August 2006 )
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