Taking on the League's Misinformation Campaign

Dear League of California Cities Attendee:

We would like to share some information with you that you will not receive from The League. In the attached packet are data-based, scientific articles that refute much of what The League will claim. Well-regulated cultivation and sale of cannabis can be an asset to your community. The League presents a one-side, cherry-picked attack on cannabis.

The Brownie Mary Democratic Club of Riverside County acknowledges there is much to learn about cannabis. We are available to address concerns and point you to model ordinances from cities in California and Riverside County that have had great success regulating cannabis. We want to see cannabis regulation succeed. It is our view that rashly moving to ban cannabis is not only unwise but dangerous. It is dangerous for patients and fuels an underground market.

The first thing in your packet is a recent piece written by legal scholars who point out that The League’s interpretation of the March 1, 2016 deadline is wrong. The correct interpretation is that the statute merely allows the Department of Food and Agriculture to temporarily regulate. Temporarily, you will not lose local control after March 1! The reasons for this interpretation are spelled out in detail in the article. The League will not share this interpretation but will push for a quick action against cannabis. Nor will The League bring up the current lawsuits such bans have generated. A few are the Fresno lawsuit and Yuba County lawsuit.

Also in the packet is social science on the relationship between cannabis and crime, crime and dispensaries, a federal report on cannabis and traffic safety and an academic paper on trafffic fatalities that show a decrease in traffic fatalities after medical marijuana. Dispensaries do not attract crime, marijuana does not attract crime, marijuana does not increase traffic problems. The science will show that. SCIENCE!

Also enclosed is a whitepaper meant to address concerns. It has a great bibliography. After decades of hearing the fear spewed to justify the war on drugs it makes sense one would be concerned about cannabis and public safely, but the data-driven science here is peer reviewed and published in respected academic journals. We can answer your concerns with peer-reviewed, published science.

The League does not rely on science. As the League makes its presentation ask yourself, ask the League, “Where’s the data?” They often will respond with, “We’re hearing….” The League relies on a few anecdotal stories because they don’t have science.  Recently, a local city banned cannabis deliveries based on a few newspaper stories from across the state over a few years about cannabis deliveries being held up. That is not science, not data, but fear tactics. There will always be a few bad actors trying to take advantage of anything, but we’re not banning pizza because some pizza delivery persons have been held up, nor should we ban cannabis because of a few isolated stories. Without good data they insist on banning cannabis and do not present any alternatives. Please ask The League to start presenting full presentations with good information, not this one-sided nonsense including options other than banning cannabis.

Across California and Riverside County are cities that have not cowered, but have chosen to embrace the inevitable. Palm Springs has had dispensaries for several years. In June 2015 they reviewed their regulations, relaxed a few regulations and went from permitting 4 to permitting 6 dispensaries because regulating cannabis has been a success in Palm Springs. Their neighbors, Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City, saw what has been happening and dispensaries are now opening up in those cities too. Desert Hot Springs is now experiencing a land rush. Coachella is coming on board too. Rancho Mirage has regulated delivery services for a few years. Now some neighbors are considering emulating their success. There are cities across California that have successful cannabis regulation. The League will not share these stories. Why?

You are probably aware of the polls, you are probably aware of the initiative(s) in the fall of November 2016. You know how this will end. The question before you is: are you willing to educate yourself to the full story for your community or are you going to be led by The League and have your city fall behind and miss out on this asset?

There is more, much more, to cannabis than what The League is telling you.

Finally, the press gets it. A few recent press editorials are enclosed. And look how the press went after a Indio city council member and police chief, or the Riverside City Council.

PLEASE ASK THE LEAGUE TO OPEN THIS MEETING AND FUTURE MEETINGS TO MEDIA AND PUBLIC. The League would benefit from some scrutiny and well-informed questions.

We’re not certain why The League is so adamantly opposed to good regulations but we do know they are in deep with the Police Chiefs Association who benefit financially from a perpetual war on drugs. The war on drugs is a job security program and they will never win, which they must know.

There is a lot to learn and the Brownie Mary Democratic Club is willing to provide information and work with you to find regulation that work well. We want what’s best for our communities, just as we’re certain you do too.