Keep Cannabis Dispensaries 1000 Feet From Schools

Editor:

On Friday morning when most parents were trying to get kids their kids to school the City of Martinez Public Safety Committee met and recommended a major change to the Medical Marijuana dispensaries ordinance that will affect the image of Martinez and its kids. Showing once again we will not learn from past mistakes.

Going into Friday morning, the city’s proposal required no dispensaries to be within 1000 foot radius of schools, churches, and day care facilities. On Friday morning the committee made of Council Members Mike Menesini and Lara DeLany changed it to a 600 foot radius. Why the change? Council Member Menesini has been quoted has stating “Once staff starts drawing one thousand foot circles it limits competition” for appropriate site. I guess competition is more important than the well being of our kids.

Why is it important to fight the ordinance now before it is in place? Here are two examples of past mistakes that affect our children:

1. A couple of years ago, Martinez discovered that we have a high number of registered sexual offenders located near the John Muir’s House because it is not considered a “children gathering” place even though many kids make school trips to John Muir’s House every day. We cannot get John Muir’s House to be a child protected site.
2. The liquor store on Alhambra Avenue and F Street was allowed because of bad policy at the time. A liquor store should never be located within blocks of a high school.

I am asking the city prohibits dispensaries from opening within 1000 feet of schools, churches with schools or day care centers, facilities serving young people (including parks, and the John Muir House) or another dispensary. Also, dispensaries must be located in light industrial zoning district, not commercial, and no closer than 300 feet to residential parcels.

Currently the ordinance will read along:

The ordinance prohibits dispensaries from opening within 600 feet of schools, churches with schools or day care centers, facilities serving young people or another dispensary. Dispensaries must be located in commercial or light industrial zoning districts no closer than 300 feet to residential parcels.

Personally, I do not think Martinez needs to be the home to a regional cannabis dispensary. Why do we have to try and facilitate the compassionate medicinal use of cannabis for the whole region? It does not really fit with family values and kids first ideal we hold. But if the City really feels it is their role to go down this path we need to make sure it is not so exposed to our children’s community.

The Planning Commission will vote on the 600 foot radius on Tuesday, January 11, so time is of essence. I will be there to speak out against this change and if you are able to show-up it would be greatly appreciated. The fact that this was recommended on Friday afternoon for a Tuesday night meeting speaks for itself. Let us stop bad policy before it even begins.

John Fuller,

Member, Martinez Unified School District Board of Directors