Comments on: Medical Cannabis Comeback? Proposal to Overturn Fort Collins MMJ Dispensary Ban on Fall Ballot

By: William A Wigle

William A Wigle — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 05:35:34 +0000

I’m from the state of Texas. Back several years ago some town legalized MMJ but the doctors were warned that any doctor prescribing MMJ would loose his license for doing it. Can any one tell me what is happening to the MMJ story in this state?

By: chrisw

chrisw — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:27:14 +0000

It does seem unconstitutional, as does raising the cost of paid signature-gatherers more than twofold. I’m trying to find documentation of these moves because we can’t write about it unless we can prove it. Thanks for adding some more insight James. As for the signatures requirements between the two cities, the percentages are roughly the same given the size of the population, so those wash each other out.

By: Doug Banfelder

Doug Banfelder — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:40:26 +0000

James: Thanks for the additional insights.

I am curious, though, about the “one bad signature invalidating two others” rule: how could that be constitutional? Did you get to challenge it?

Good on the community for fighting as it did. The best long-term solution, however, is to put forward a majority of pro-MMJ candidates for City council seats (as well as for the Lege, of course).

By: James Slatic

James Slatic — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 22:04:12 +0000

I wanted to give you a different perspective on your comments
regarding San Diego.
Today you compared Ft. Collins and San Diego and there are some significant differences.
1. While Ft Collins got their measure on the ballot with 4,302 signatures, San Diego requires 44,805 valid signatures.
2. When our activism got the dispensary ban overturned in 2011 the MMJ community invested over $100,000 in the effort, and “succeeded”, only to see the city use zoning and federal powers to close 220 storefronts, a dubious victory at best.
3. The community then spent over $65,000 towards developing and drafting the proposed ballot proposition with increased federal raids and “landlord letters” going out to current property owners.
4. Rules for submitted and verifying signatures are very arcane and the city put a further “hurdle” in our path by ruling that any invalid signatures would “disqualify 2 valid ones”. Making use of professional signature gathering almost mandatory.
5. Our Governor, Jerry Brown, is proposing a tax related proposition, and has “upped the market” for professional signature gathering this election from $2.45 per valid name to over $6.00 per name, tripling our cost.
6. We are pursuing the cities illegal action in the courts, prompting Asst US Attorney to write the judge in our case with a some-what threatening “clarification” letter. (Copy Attached)

In addition to the above many advocates have spent hundreds of hours communicating with patients and organizing protests at City Hall (picture attached).