Pubdate: Fri, 08 Jan 2016
Source: Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA)
Copyright: 2016 Appeal-Democrat
Contact: 
https://appeal-democrat-dot-com.bloxcms-ny1.com/site/forms/online_services/letter/
Website: http://www.appeal-democrat.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1343
Author: Pamela Smith

MARIJUANA DISPENSARY

I don't care about marijuana one way or the other, but I do care 
about my community. That is why I am upset the Marysville City 
Council has agreed to let a marijuana dispensary operate in our city. 
It's not the presence of a dispensary I oppose - it's the main 
criteria for the city is it goes to the highest bidder. While this 
may sound reasonable on the surface, there are other factors to consider.

My husband passed away several years ago from liver cancer, and I 
wish now I had had the courage to seek medical marijuana to relieve 
his symptoms, which were pretty severe at the end.

My upbringing didn't allow me to consider that as a possibility. My 
attitude changed when a friend used a cannabis tincture to relieve 
the pain caused by an inoperable brain tumor, but to everyone's 
surprise (including her doctors), the tumor disappeared! I've since 
become convinced it does have medical value and I'm grateful others 
will finally have local access should they decide to go this route.

However, my husband was a CPA and he continually harped about the 
multiplier effect on local economies. I hope I can explain this 
properly, but the theory is every dollar spent locally from a 
locally-made product increases its buying power by 6 times, so $100 
becomes $600.

Direct impact is spending done by a business in the local economy to 
operate the business, including inventory, utilities, equipment and 
pay to employees.

Indirect impact happens as dollars the local business spent at other 
area businesses re-circulate.

Induced impact refers to the additional consumer spending that 
happens as employees, business owners and others spend their income 
in the local economy.

(Source: amiba.net/resources/multipliereffect)

While I am gratified Marysville is forwardthinking enough to allow a 
dispensary, I hope they will consider the unintended consequences of 
awarding the permit to the highest bidder without taking the local 
economic benefits into account. Any dispensary can generate the same 
amount of sales taxes, but after that, most of the profits derived 
from outside interests will leave our area. Assuming all things are 
equal, I believe the main criteria to award a dispensary license 
should be local first.

Pamela Smith

Olivehurst
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom