Pubdate: Fri, 06 Feb 2015
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Sarah Parvini

POT LOTTERY'S HIGHS AND LOWS

Santa Ana Uses Luck to Decide WHO Can Apply for Marijuana Shop Permits

Cheers and sighs erupted at Santa Ana City Hall as would-be pot shop 
owners got their chance to obtain a permit to legally sell medical 
marijuana in the city.

Thursday afternoon's lottery was a result of the city-backed, 
voter-approved measure that says dispensaries can operate only in two 
industrial areas.

Applicants were selected during a lottery overseen by an independent 
accounting firm to ensure impartiality, city officials said. With 
more than 600 application fees paid at $1,690 each, the city brought 
in about $1 million in revenue. The city won't have a complete list 
of winners until Friday.

The randomly selected applicants now move on to the Regulatory Safety 
Permit phase of the process; that application costs $12,086 and is 
submitted to the Santa Ana Police Department. People can start 
applying for the permit Friday; the city then has 60 days to review 
the application.

Among the lotto winners was rapper Louis Freese, better known as 
"B-Real" of the hip-hop group Cypress Hill, whose lyrics often 
reference marijuana. Freese, who plans on opening a collective called 
Dr. Greenthumb, said he wants to bring "responsible, quality 
medication" to people in Santa Ana.

"These collectives create jobs, and that gets overlooked. They can 
create different revenue streams," he said. "This is a tremendous 
opportunity for us. We're glad we've been selected."

Under the new measure, collectives must be 500 feet apart and 1,000 
feet away from schools, parks and residential zones. The 
dispensaries' gross receipts will be taxed 5% and could be raised to 
as much as 10%, said city spokeswoman Tanya Lyon. Cultivation is not allowed.

Medical marijuana is legal in more than 20 states, according to the 
National Conference of State Legislatures, though it is listed under 
the federal Controlled Substances Act as a drug with "no currently 
accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" - a designation 
it shares with heroin and Ecstasy.

But just this week, the U.S. surgeon general seemed optimistic about 
marijuana's potential.

"We have some preliminary data showing that for some medical 
conditions and symptoms that marijuana can be helpful," Dr. Vivek 
Murthy told "CBS This Morning." "So I think we have to use that data 
to drive policymaking, and I'm very interested to see where that data 
takes us."

Grant and Patti McCormick said they know the benefits of medical 
marijuana firsthand. Both use it to alleviate pain: Grant for chronic 
arthritis and Patti for migraines. The couple attended the public 
meeting to support a friend who was ineligible for the lottery 
because of the location of his dispensary.

"It's great that Santa Ana is willing to do this. Some regulation is 
needed," Grant McCormick, 64, said. "It can't be the Wild West."

Edmundo Serafin was ecstatic when the accounting firm announced the 
second ball, marked 337. It was his number.

Serafin and two other friends had marijuana collectives of their own, 
but closed them in anticipation of the lottery. They expect more than 
500 patients for their grand opening, he said.

It's a relief to have the chance at a legitimate business, he said.

"Before this, you were waiting to see if the DEA was outside, or if 
your shop had been cleaned up," he said.

"We want legalization so patients can have safe access to 
medication," Serafin said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom