The City of Mountain View is taking a very restrictive approach to marijuana dispensaries. Although only one now exists the City Council announced that it will study the issue. If the council approves several more dispensaries operating them will be difficult, especially as compared to cities such as San Jose and Oakland.
In Mountain View, dispensary operators would be required to apply for a conditional use permit which needs to be renewed every year. It is unclear how much those permits will cost. Such operators need to pass a background check (which includes drug charges) maintain surveillance cameras and have the quality of the cannabis regularly inspected.
The City Attorney's Office maintains that crime rates increase in areas that include cannabis dispensaries. Of course this blog has already disproved this theory. However, the Mountain View has has generated a report that says that 214 marijuana arrests occured in 2009 including a homicide. However, the report does not rindicate that any of these crimes occured near a dispensary. Further many of these crimes were for illegal possession and under the influence. This is completely unrelated to the existence of cannabis dispensaries.
Thus dispensaries will only be allowed in small pockets of the City, 1,000 feet from "sensitive" areas such as trails and parks.To read a related article click here.
If you have been convicted of a drug related crime, or any crime, you need legal representation. Call the Law Offices of Erik Steven Johnson at (408) 246-3004. Know your rights!
