MARIJUANA PRODUCT DELIVERIES MUST BE ALLOWED STATEWIDE, REGULATORY AGENCY RULES

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East County News Service

December 10, 2018 (San Diego) – Cities and counties throughout California must allow marijuana deliveries, even in jurisdictions where dispensary sales are banned. Thats the ruling issued last week by the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control.

The agency sided with advocates who argued that bans make it difficult for elderly and sick people, as well as those without vehicles, to access medical marijuana, though the ruling also mandates legal delivery of recreational marijuanaUnder the new rulepolice officers and sheriff deputies will no longer be allowed to arrestlicensed delivery drivers.

The action drew opposition from some law enforcement agencies including the California Police Chiefs Association as well as the California League of Cities, which contended that allowing cannabis deliveries could increase crime in communities.

The new rules require deliveries in only unmarked vehicles that do not advertise pot products, and deliveries will be allowed only from legally licensed outlets – not illegal operations.

Californians legalized use and sale of medicinal marijuana over a decade ago and recreational marijuana two years ago with passage of Prop 64.  

But though it’s legal to grow up to six plants per household, access to products such as tinctures, marijuana cigarettes, cannabis ointments and edible marijuana items have remained limited due to the piecemeal nature of local regulations.

In San Diego’s East County, for example, medical marijuana dispensaries are legal in the cities of La Mesa and Lemon Grove, but illegal in El Cajon and Santee.County Supervisors recently voted to ban all marijuana sales, though one licensed medical dispensary has been grandfathered in for the next several years.  Recreational sales are outlawed in every East County jurisdiction.

The city of San Diego, by contrast, has legalized dispensaries selling both medical and recreational cannabis products.

State regulators have ruled that it’s high time for all Californians to have equal access to purchase legal cannabis products, starting in January. 

But that action could be delayed if the state’s Office of Administrative Law files an objection, or if a court challenge is filed.


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Comments

Our elected officials and their personal agendas

We elect the mayor and city council members to do what the majority of the people want, not make counterproductive decisions based on their personal views. Prohibition didn't work, neither will attempts to quash legal marijuana sales. Pay attention to the voters, or be ousted!

From what I've seen, crime has not been a problem at



Legal dispensaries but is a very big problem at illegal ones.  Delivery drivers have been robbed locally, but removing signs off trucks may help unless thieves follow the drivers from wherever they pick up their products.  Legalizing dispensaries, at least for medical use, would cut down on people ordering deliveries from farther away probably. 

At illegal dispensaries, the operators tend not to call the police or sheriff even when there is a violent hold-up or assault, for obvious reasons. With legal ones, cities can impose safety requirements such as metal detectors and security cameras that dissuade robberies.