Oldsmar approves temporary moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries

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One response to “Oldsmar approves temporary moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries”

1. 

   Roy Lawson

   February 6, 2017

   I’m usually on the same page as our elected here in Oldsmar. On this one, I think Oldsmar needs to lead not punt. Florida is going to create a billion dollar legal pot market. If you want time to think this through, I’m OK with that. But Oldsmar will be better off if we capitalize on the coming boom, not sit on the sidelines.

   I’m not going to put our officials on the line by asking who has and hasn’t smoked pot, but assuming they are like most people who have tried at least once in their lives I’m pretty sure they know marijuana is the safer than most legal drugs such as alcohol (if taking recreational) and far safer and less addictive than opioids and other hard legal prescription drugs.

   I think a good start for Oldsmar is to at least form a statement so we know where elected officials stand. I can tell you that if you are the wrong side of voters who overwhelmingly support medical marijuana legalization, there will be a political cost. Better hope the Tampa Bay Rays pick Oldsmar (which will keep you elected indefinitely no matter what else you vote on). Someone else (myself?) might feel emboldened to run against an encumbent on the 2nd Amendment implementation being a key issue. I’m not sure how informed our politicians are on marijuana, but the PSA announcements we grew up with regarding marijuana were as we know now marketing campaigns, not based on sound science. Our laws need to adjust.

   I would like to see Oldsmar welcome entrepreneurs that could create jobs stemming from the marijuana industry. Outsiders from other states that legalized before us are lining up to profit from their experience here. Why not encourage Oldsmar residents to learn all that they can about this business and give our community a chance to win big, instead of out of staters or other Florida cities. I’m not sure how to legally acquire experience in our state, and when the starter gun fires once the state legislature and regulators have done their jobs, we are going to be running around like a bunch of clueless fools because we don’t know what on Earth we are doing. Give us a way to get in on this action – right now we have about six months to figure things out. And with the moratorium here in Oldsmar, elected officials are sending would be entrepreneurs not to bother investing in here.

   I get that doors shouldn’t open to the public until regulations are in place. But with this crony system in place (established by state legislators not Oldsmar officials) the tables are tilted in favor of the outsiders.

   Oldsmar doesn’t have our own PD and uses county sherrifs instead, but the city could also pass a statement in favor of decrimalizing possession small quantities of marijuana like Tampa and St Pete have done. Write citations, don’t arrest for a midemeanor unless there is some other mitigating circumstance or law being violated. This must change at the county level, but Oldsmar should have voices heard so the county knows where we stand.

   I’m stepping off my soapbox. Hoping the city officials will make their positions known. Don’t listen to the outsiders who are open about their desire to limit competition. Jeff Brandes has it right on this one. Let the market work.

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