The Continuing Saga of the Pot Clubs...

The topic continues to pop up daily in the local news. This growing SF industry is largely unregulated so it's reletively simple to set up shop. All that is required is a landlord willing to set up a lease with the prespective pot entrepreneur. Some are joking that its "the" business to set up in town, because the profit margin is good and you don't have to pay taxes. I don't think that's what voters had in mind when California passed Prop 215 in 1996. But, that's what we have in our town. At leaset for now, our board of supervisors have taken notice of the plight. So they have imposted a temporary moratorium on the opening of new clubs. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/30/BAGE2C0J1C1.DTL Some of my neighbors are happy. (I recently wrote that we have two clubs and a third was close to opening on Ocean Ave.). The ban is so the Sups can create legislation for the pot clubs. Although they are also finding it a difficult to enforce. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/31/BAGIOC13F61.DTL They really have to rely on the honesty of the owners to report thier new ventures, as they are not required to currently have a bulding permit. The end result will be that legislation for the clubs is coming soon. When I think of the Prop 215 initiative to legalize medicinal marajuana, limited only to doctor perscription it's become kind of like a joke. If SF can't control this the state or federal governements will certainly step in. A club in the Bayview district was busted just this week. The feds seized 500 plants. I don't think that this is going away any time soon in SF. But, I am at least glad to see actions being taken to create something to enforce. Berkely and Oakland also have pot clubs, but they limit where and when they can operate. I want to say one more thing about this. I took notice of the issue as it got close to home (we had a shooting in daylight at one of the clubs in our community). But, I now see the greater issue in relation to the city. I am reminded that self-preservation prompts us to some sort of action. I'm choosing to see this issue in relation to my family, community, city, and state (not just my family). I'm looking at it in relation to all the children who may be affected/harmed. I'm seeing it through the quality of life lens for the neighborhoods. I mean when people buy pot to sell on the street... These places are opening near schools. I have no intention of controling the circumstances or people. But, I have a responsibility to influence for good where I can. More later.