Carol Boigon's new TV ad says marijuana dispensaries "not a jobs plan"
From Westword: Carol Boigon's new TV ad says marijuana dispensaries "not a jobs plan" (VIDEO) - Denver News - The Latest Word
Our response:
When mayoral candidate Carol Boigon released a new 15 second campaign spot, she made clear her stance on medical marijuana, if not in so many words.
??Whether you support medical marijuana or not, putting dispensaries everywhere is not a jobs plan,? Boigon fired.
Whether the city has been ??putting dispensaries everywhere? is an entirely different debate. Medical marijuana centers face unprecendented restrictions on where they can operate, are burdened with onerous licensing fees, and are subject to a rigorous approval process. A state wide moratorium on opening new centers has been in effect since July 1st of 2010, with new legislation looking to extend it through 2012. The proliferation of medical marijuana centers simply isn??t a concern in the status quo for Denver residents.
She goes on to say that we should focus instead on solar, bioscience and other industries. While we agree that these are sectors that Colorado needs to see growth in, Councilwoman Boigon never connects the dots on how medical marijuana precludes that growth. It may take time to regulate this industry, but she herself has been guilty of adding large numbers of amendments to slow down the process.
The Metro Denver EDC already forecasts growth in almost every industry she mentions, going so far as to call renewable energy a ??bright spot? for manufacturing in the state. While medical marijuana shouldn??t be the only jobs plan for Denver, there isn??t a rational explanation of why other industries can??t flourish simply because patients have access to medical marijuana.
A common refrain from the campaign has been the need to keep neighborhoods safe. The city council, to our dismay, has already done much towards this perceived problem. Cultivation of cannabis in residential areas has nearly been eliminated and changes have been made to the zoning code to keep centers from operating in ??mixed use? areas.
While opponents are hard pressed to find actual crime statistics to bolster their argument that centers are dangerous to neighborhoods, there are plenty of instances where owners of dispensaries have been a positive influence on their community. Whether through food drives, community services or our own efforts with Walk MS, those in the MMJ business have shown time and time again that they??re both conscientious and philanthropic.
While the local economy is certainly a large cause for concern, we don??t feel that the Boigon campaign is justified in taking shots at one of the few industries providing new jobs and revenue for the city of Denver.
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For the full article, including hyperlinks and the campaign video, see our blog here:
Campaign Ad Unfairly Targets Medical Marijuana | Colorado Dispensary Services
Carol Boigon's new TV ad says marijuana dispensaries "not a jobs plan"
So that's why all those darn dispensaries opened... for the jobs...
It's a veiled threat that wont get her far, I hope.
And yet I actually have a job because of Medical Marijuana and the jobs she proposes to create are a distant dream that would go the way of universal health care, or a reasonable budget...into the dark abyss of bureaucracy and politics.
