Pubdate: Fri, 26 Oct 2012
Source: Daily Californian, The (UC Berkeley, CA Edu)
Copyright: 2012 The Daily Californian
Contact:  http://www.dailycal.org/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/597

A LINGERING CANNABIS PROBLEM

CITY AFFAIRS: Local officials should act quickly to resolve concern 
in South Berkeley over a medical marijuana outfit that may be illegal.

South Berkeley residents have waited too long for the city to resolve 
their concerns about a potentially illegal medical marijuana operation.

The allegations residents made against Perfect Plants Patients' 
Group, also known as 3PG, are serious. Recently, the city has been 
looking into whether the facility, located on Sacramento Street, is 
within a legal distance from Longfellow Middle School. In addition, 
residents claim that other illicit activities are occurring nearby, 
such as alleged street sales and underage youth smoking marijuana. 
City officials must determine the validity of these assertions as 
soon as possible.

Yet local bureaucracy seems to be inhibiting a timely resolution. The 
Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board declared the business in violation 
of city code in September and then, earlier this month, recommended 
that the City Council terminate the business and investigate whether 
to declare it a public nuisance.

The local community has indicated that this has been a major concern 
to them for months, and it seems like action is moving too slowly.

Contention over the business' operations stretches back far longer 
than the past few months, however. City staff first told the business 
in a letter last December that it was "dispensing medical marijuana 
in a non-residential zoning district," which is illegal. The letter 
seems to be an attempt to address confusion over whether the 
establishment is operating as a collective or a dispensary -- a 
distinction that comes with separate zoning regulations.

Now, the council has less than 60 days to conduct a hearing on the 
matter. It needs to use due diligence to determine whether claims 
voiced by local residents are accurate and then act accordingly. 
Residents need to feel that their city is listening to them.

It's concerning that the issue has dragged on for nearly one year 
with few substantial results. The city must resolve the uncertainty 
and confusion surrounding Perfect Plants Patient's Group. 
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom