While the city’s District Attorney has adamantly argued against the possibility that compensating cash for some crops is not legal, the citizens of the city made it clear that Steve Cooley, and his opinions (one that is
As the city finds ways to restrict safe access, supporters of Measure M, with nearly twenty percentage points, approved another 5% tax on dispensaries, which will be passed along to patients.
One of the misconceptions of medical cannabis is that it is a cash cow that can be extorted by the state and city for funds that have been cut from other sectors of society.
Taxing medical marijuana sales while at the same hearing about a lottery (those not applying have been formally asked to close in Los Angeles) will add an increased cost on a plant that isn’t supposed to even be sold, according to Cooley’s office, or sold in a not-for-profit environment that shouldn’t be accountable for taxation (like a thank you gift for supporting other non-profits, it’s actually a tax write-off).
After much ambiguity and lack of direction from the top down, Governor Brown interpreted the spirit and integrity of California’s Compassionate Use Act (Prop 215), along with SB 420, and came up with the 2008 Attorney General Guidelines for law enforcement, attorneys, patients and advocates to look to for clarity in the law.
Various interpretations of the guidelines have allowed Cooley and his cohorts to come up with a poorly calculated and unsuccessful campaign, and have squandered precious city resources in the process, to remove safe access from their district.
If the city is ‘all in,’ the people called their bluff via Measure M, sounding a resilient effort by well-intentioned individuals who don’t believe our resources should be put to waste. In light of recent convictions of judges, prosecutors and police who have abused their positions of power to apply the law differently to further their careers, it seems as if Angelino’s are positioning themselves for the power shift that is to come, if it hasn’t already arrived.
