Almost 100 workers in Oakland's medical marijuana industry have voted to be represented by organized labor, a first-of-its-kind event for an industry trying to build public support.
Marijuana advocates joined leaders of the United Food and Commercial Workers union in making the announcement Friday. Californians are split over a November ballot measure that would legalize use of marijuana by adults 21 and older, but proponents of the initiative hoped labor can now give them a boost.
"I think it's another historic step toward ending cannabis prohibition," said Richard Lee, founder and president of Oaksterdam University and a proponent of the Tax Cannabis 2010 initiative.
The federal government outlaws marijuana, including for medicinal uses. But Ron Lind, the president of the 26,000-member UFCW Local 5, based in San Jose, said he sees the "potential for thousands" of workers in California's medical marijuana industry to be represented by the union – and the potential for even more to join the union if the state initiative is approved.
Lind said Local 5 will support the initiative not only because of its workers in Oakland, but also as a way to generate more tax dollars to help save public service jobs.
"We have to come up with more revenue," he said. "So here's an excellent way to do it – to regulate the industry, to legalize it and then tax it. It's a no-brainer."
The union will represent workers at Oaksterdam University, the Patient ID Center, the Blue Sky Coffee Shop, the Bulldog Café, the Oaksterdam Gift Shop and AMCD Inc., also called Old Oaksterdam, the union said.
The Tax Cannabis 2010 initiative would allow people who are at least 21 years old to possess, grow and transport marijuana for personal use, and would let cities and counties decide whether to regulate and tax commercial production and sales. It would increase the criminal penalty for providing marijuana to a minor and prohibit consumption in public or while minors are present.
It has drawn the opposition of law enforcement organizations and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Tim Rosales, a spokesman for Public Safety First, a group formed to defeat the measure, said he doesn't see the union's involvement with medical cannabis workers as a game changer.
"I don't think this changes the dynamic that this is a very controversial issue," he said. "It certainly doesn't change the fact that this is a seriously flawed initiative."
A recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed 49 percent oppose legalization while 48 percent support it. The poll had a 2 percentage point margin of error.
Whatever the impact on the initiative, the unionization of medical marijuana workers in Oakland boosts the city's reputation as an industry leader. Oakland became the country's first city in 2009 to adopt a voter-approved special tax on cannabis dispensaries. The city's four licensed dispensaries are expected to pay about $500,000 to city coffers this year.
Oakland is also moving toward regulating commercial growing operations. Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Larry Reid are expected next month to introduce legislation that would provide grow permits to three or four large-scale cultivators. The idea behind the legislation is to cut down on the dangers that often come with unregulated and unlicensed grow operations.
Kaplan was also involved in bringing the labor union together with the medical marijuana community.
"We are a city that cares about jobs, that cares about economic opportunity and that cares about worker rights," she said Friday. "This opportunity today for the unionization of a new industry makes it possible for us to build good jobs with worker rights and responsibility."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Author: Kelly Rayburn
Contact: San Jose Mercury News
Copyright: 2010 San Jose Mercury News
Website: Oakland medical marijuana workers vote to unionize
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
Marijuana advocates joined leaders of the United Food and Commercial Workers union in making the announcement Friday. Californians are split over a November ballot measure that would legalize use of marijuana by adults 21 and older, but proponents of the initiative hoped labor can now give them a boost.
"I think it's another historic step toward ending cannabis prohibition," said Richard Lee, founder and president of Oaksterdam University and a proponent of the Tax Cannabis 2010 initiative.
The federal government outlaws marijuana, including for medicinal uses. But Ron Lind, the president of the 26,000-member UFCW Local 5, based in San Jose, said he sees the "potential for thousands" of workers in California's medical marijuana industry to be represented by the union – and the potential for even more to join the union if the state initiative is approved.
Lind said Local 5 will support the initiative not only because of its workers in Oakland, but also as a way to generate more tax dollars to help save public service jobs.
"We have to come up with more revenue," he said. "So here's an excellent way to do it – to regulate the industry, to legalize it and then tax it. It's a no-brainer."
The union will represent workers at Oaksterdam University, the Patient ID Center, the Blue Sky Coffee Shop, the Bulldog Café, the Oaksterdam Gift Shop and AMCD Inc., also called Old Oaksterdam, the union said.
The Tax Cannabis 2010 initiative would allow people who are at least 21 years old to possess, grow and transport marijuana for personal use, and would let cities and counties decide whether to regulate and tax commercial production and sales. It would increase the criminal penalty for providing marijuana to a minor and prohibit consumption in public or while minors are present.
It has drawn the opposition of law enforcement organizations and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Tim Rosales, a spokesman for Public Safety First, a group formed to defeat the measure, said he doesn't see the union's involvement with medical cannabis workers as a game changer.
"I don't think this changes the dynamic that this is a very controversial issue," he said. "It certainly doesn't change the fact that this is a seriously flawed initiative."
A recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed 49 percent oppose legalization while 48 percent support it. The poll had a 2 percentage point margin of error.
Whatever the impact on the initiative, the unionization of medical marijuana workers in Oakland boosts the city's reputation as an industry leader. Oakland became the country's first city in 2009 to adopt a voter-approved special tax on cannabis dispensaries. The city's four licensed dispensaries are expected to pay about $500,000 to city coffers this year.
Oakland is also moving toward regulating commercial growing operations. Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Larry Reid are expected next month to introduce legislation that would provide grow permits to three or four large-scale cultivators. The idea behind the legislation is to cut down on the dangers that often come with unregulated and unlicensed grow operations.
Kaplan was also involved in bringing the labor union together with the medical marijuana community.
"We are a city that cares about jobs, that cares about economic opportunity and that cares about worker rights," she said Friday. "This opportunity today for the unionization of a new industry makes it possible for us to build good jobs with worker rights and responsibility."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Author: Kelly Rayburn
Contact: San Jose Mercury News
Copyright: 2010 San Jose Mercury News
Website: Oakland medical marijuana workers vote to unionize
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
