Pubdate: Sat, 04 May 2013
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Copyright: 2013 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/233
Author: Daniel Johnston
Page: 9B

MARIJUANA DISPENSARY BILL

To the editor:

As you may know, we may soon have marijuana dispensaries here in
Nevada.

That's all fine and well, but what you may not know is that the bill
allows the licensing of some who have records of drug and violent
crime felonies. Why? Are we going to have convicted criminals owning,
growing and operating dispensaries? Since the growers, bud tenders,
trimmers, owners, etc. aren't required to be medical marijuana
patients, are they going to be drug tested to ensure they aren't using
what they're selling? If a bud tender can't use it legally, how are
they going to be able to tell a licensed patient what the effects,
both good and bad, will be for them?

Also, here at the last minute, someone added an amendment to the bill
that says that once a dispensary opens in your area, a patient will no
longer be able to grow their own. This was added way after any public
comment on the bill so that no one would raise a stink about it. No
matter how you look at it, this is dirty politics. This will leave
patients at the mercy of whatever the dispensaries will be selling and
it's not fair to those that have been growing their own.

To whatever the dispensary charges for, say, an eighth ounce of
marijuana (that's 3.5 grams) add in state tax and the new $10
transaction fee the state gets, and that eighth will cost upwards of
$65-70 dollars. Add another $50 dollars to that and a patient can grow
all they need for the month. This is forcible and state-approved
financial rape.

Many patients are in serious shape, on Social Security or very limited
income and the prices that for-profit dispensaries will be charging,
along with the dues for the state will force patients back to the
street where they are now. It will be cheaper.

It's really sad when those that are duty bound to protect the
interests of Nevadans look for and allow profit from the sickest of
the sick in this state. Shame on you.

Daniel Johnston

Las Vegas
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