Street Reporter

Should the City Council allow a medical marijuana dispensary to do business in Nevada City?

1. Sam:   It doesn’t seem to make sense to me to prevent a business authorized by state law which is designed to provide compassionate care to people with serious medical traumas – and I don’t think the City Council is equipped with the proper medical training to make determinations as to how cancer and glaucoma patients should treat their illnesses. 

1. Elizabeth:  I think that’s a great idea, I think the more legal marijuana can get the better for all of us.  When was the last time you heard of somebody crashing a car, or hurting a friend or abusing their wife on marijuana?  If alcohol and cigarettes can be legal, why not marijuana?

1. Rosanne:  I think it would be a good idea, I had a cousin who died of leukemia and the medical marijuana was a huge, huge help for her, it made all the difference for her.

1. Ruth:   I am not familiar with the issues of why the answer would be negative on that, but I think we need the tax base that a dispensary would allow at the same allowing for upgraded marijuana to be available for the people who need it for medical use.  If we don’t service these customers other people will.

1. Leo:   I’ve lived in Nevada City for 25 years and I think the Nevada City city council should allow a medical marijuana dispensary, I think the state has already voted to make medical marijuana a legal thing and I think Nevada City should go along with what the state has decided.  I think it would bring in revenue, I think it would allow for medical patients to get treatment and I think it would be good overall for Nevada City.

1. Renette :  I think with the proper ordinances I think a dispensary is a fine idea.  From my own personal experience of watching my mother die of cancer I know that the pot actually helped her through her pain, I’ve seen a lot of benefits.  I just think we need to be really careful-which the city council is being- in making sure that we cover all the bases and we don’t have to go back and revisit the ordinances, lay them out before it opens, and I think everybody will be happy.

1. Steve: We’ve owned our house about 9 or 10 years and lived here full-time for 5 years and I don’t think the city council has the right to prohibit something like that, if it’s a legal business they can set up restrictions, location and things like that but to outright ban it – I don’t think it’s within their authority. That’s like banning a particular business to come into town and then that to me they just don’t have the authority to do that.  Now I realize medical marijuana is somewhat controversial with the federal laws against it, but it’s a state law that you can open a medicinal marijuana places and so city council’s job is to come up with rules and regulations that that business could not offend as many people as possible, but to say no - I don’t think is correct.