Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Let’s get the jokes out of the way first.
We’re not renaming the city “Pot Hueneme” or “Port Highneme.” Nor are we rebranding the city to “Port Hueneme, Where the Grass is Greener” or “Hueneme Isn’t Just About Higher Education.” And no, Cheech and Chong will not be filming their sequels here (although they haven’t asked).
The cannabis industry is the subject of thousands of jokes that share one thing in common — they are antiquated views left over from the pot culture of the 1960s. What many folks don’t realize is that cannabis in California, as a legitimate industry, has already been approved by the voters.
The modern and relevant view of cannabis is that it is a medically proven drug for hundreds of ailments that have eluded traditional treatment. It has given relief to people suffering from epilepsy, effects of cancer, anxiety and other psychological disorders. It is far more preferable than the opioids that have hooked millions into an addiction that frequently leads to the death of the user.
With the adoption of Ordinance No. 727 effective July 5, Port Hueneme became the first city in Ventura County to recognize and license the cannabis industry as a medical provider. We are following through on what California voters and legislators have deemed to be legal. They approved of the medical marijuana industry, and we are implementing that edict.
Allowing this immensely regulated industry into our city is also going to offer significant relief to our city budget and citizens. Few industries are growing as rapidly as cannabis, so there is immense revenue potential to offset the city’s structural deficit without having to tax our residents.
As a separate but complementary effort, the City Council has already begun a process to sell one or more properties the city owns to generate near- and long-term revenues. It is very likely that any one of those sites will attract a bidder who would either grow, manufacture, sell and/or distribute cannabis products for medicinal purposes.
Should that occur, the cannabis ordinance requires public outreach that, at a minimum, includes a noticed public hearing to consider the concerns of nearby residents and property owners. One such example is a municipal service yard located along Industrial Avenue, for which a community meeting was conducted and well-attended on June 12.
Our outreach efforts to inform the community and troubleshoot Ordinance No. 727 have been extensive. We have engaged local elected officials, law enforcement authorities and industry representatives in the dialogue. We have made every reasonable effort to accommodate the concerns and competing interests of those most affected. We are clearly out of the shadows and operating in a manner that allows regular inspection and tight regulation.
The implementation of Ordinance No. 727 could translate to hundreds of thousands of dollars for our city each year. There is no other use of property within the city that could raise this kind of money in the immediate future. We owe it to our residents, businesses and property owners to exhaust every potential source of revenue that does not entail new taxes.
Our intent is to start slowly with Ordinance No. 727, which is expressly restricted to medicinal purposes, and then entertain expansion of cannabis operations over time. The voters in November approved Proposition 64, which broadens legal authority to encompass recreational use of cannabis. Between now and the end of 2017, we will gain the benefit of learning from best practices in other cities.
It isn’t easy to be first at something. You take all the blows and the snide remarks. When you’re on the ropes financially, as is the case for Port Hueneme, it’s better that you advantage yourself before the wave crashes and takes you under. For our city, I prefer to get it right and be the first at something rather than watch other communities do what we could have done in retrospect.
Licensing for the cannabis industry is the right move for the city of Port Hueneme and the citizens we serve.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical marijuana offers relief for Port Hueneme
Author: iStockphoto
Contact: Contact Us | Ventura County Star
Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Website: Ventura - Home
We’re not renaming the city “Pot Hueneme” or “Port Highneme.” Nor are we rebranding the city to “Port Hueneme, Where the Grass is Greener” or “Hueneme Isn’t Just About Higher Education.” And no, Cheech and Chong will not be filming their sequels here (although they haven’t asked).
The cannabis industry is the subject of thousands of jokes that share one thing in common — they are antiquated views left over from the pot culture of the 1960s. What many folks don’t realize is that cannabis in California, as a legitimate industry, has already been approved by the voters.
The modern and relevant view of cannabis is that it is a medically proven drug for hundreds of ailments that have eluded traditional treatment. It has given relief to people suffering from epilepsy, effects of cancer, anxiety and other psychological disorders. It is far more preferable than the opioids that have hooked millions into an addiction that frequently leads to the death of the user.
With the adoption of Ordinance No. 727 effective July 5, Port Hueneme became the first city in Ventura County to recognize and license the cannabis industry as a medical provider. We are following through on what California voters and legislators have deemed to be legal. They approved of the medical marijuana industry, and we are implementing that edict.
Allowing this immensely regulated industry into our city is also going to offer significant relief to our city budget and citizens. Few industries are growing as rapidly as cannabis, so there is immense revenue potential to offset the city’s structural deficit without having to tax our residents.
As a separate but complementary effort, the City Council has already begun a process to sell one or more properties the city owns to generate near- and long-term revenues. It is very likely that any one of those sites will attract a bidder who would either grow, manufacture, sell and/or distribute cannabis products for medicinal purposes.
Should that occur, the cannabis ordinance requires public outreach that, at a minimum, includes a noticed public hearing to consider the concerns of nearby residents and property owners. One such example is a municipal service yard located along Industrial Avenue, for which a community meeting was conducted and well-attended on June 12.
Our outreach efforts to inform the community and troubleshoot Ordinance No. 727 have been extensive. We have engaged local elected officials, law enforcement authorities and industry representatives in the dialogue. We have made every reasonable effort to accommodate the concerns and competing interests of those most affected. We are clearly out of the shadows and operating in a manner that allows regular inspection and tight regulation.
The implementation of Ordinance No. 727 could translate to hundreds of thousands of dollars for our city each year. There is no other use of property within the city that could raise this kind of money in the immediate future. We owe it to our residents, businesses and property owners to exhaust every potential source of revenue that does not entail new taxes.
Our intent is to start slowly with Ordinance No. 727, which is expressly restricted to medicinal purposes, and then entertain expansion of cannabis operations over time. The voters in November approved Proposition 64, which broadens legal authority to encompass recreational use of cannabis. Between now and the end of 2017, we will gain the benefit of learning from best practices in other cities.
It isn’t easy to be first at something. You take all the blows and the snide remarks. When you’re on the ropes financially, as is the case for Port Hueneme, it’s better that you advantage yourself before the wave crashes and takes you under. For our city, I prefer to get it right and be the first at something rather than watch other communities do what we could have done in retrospect.
Licensing for the cannabis industry is the right move for the city of Port Hueneme and the citizens we serve.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical marijuana offers relief for Port Hueneme
Author: iStockphoto
Contact: Contact Us | Ventura County Star
Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Website: Ventura - Home