Posts Tagged ‘marijuana’
For local dispensaries after the Oaksterdam raid, business as usual and a low profile
Medical marijuana dispensaries often strive to keep a low profile, but this has been even more the case after federal agents raided Oaksterdam University and the home of founder Richard Lee on Monday. Half a dozen East Bay dispensaries responded with “no comment” when asked about how their organization was reacting to the raid, and others ignored voicemails. To date, there are no known closures of dispensaries in the East Bay as a reaction to Monday’s raid, and for many dispensaries, such as Harborside Health Center and the Berkeley Patient’s Care Collective, it’s business as usual.
Read MoreOakland marijuana dispensaries concerned over potential prosecution, taxes
Medical marijuana supporters and business people in Oakland reacted angrily last week to dual blows from the federal government—a prosecution warning and a massive tax bill—as they speculated on the possible consequences for patients and the local marijuana industry.
Read MoreCannabis enthusiasts light up at Oakland street festival
Touted by locals as the center of the medical marijuana industry, Oakland seems a fitting host for the nation’s first marijuana outdoor street festival: the two-day International Cannabis and Hemp Expo, which opened its doors Saturday.
Read MoreProposal to double medical marijuana dispensaries passes city committee
The Oakland City Council’s Public Safety Committee passed an ordinance by consensus Tuesday evening that will double the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, if approved by the city council.
Read MoreJohn Russo appoints Barbara Parker as Acting City Attorney
In an email sent to press Friday night, the Oakland City Attorney’s office announced that Chief Assistant City Attorney Barbara Parker will be temporarily stepping into the city’s top legal job to fill the vacancy left by John Russo, who begins his new career as Alameda’s City Manager on June 13.
Read MoreFormer partners in weGrow marijuana supply store embroiled in legal battle
The front gate at the Oakland branch of weGrow, the country’s first “out of the closet” company that sells indoor marijuana growing equipment, is now locked up and its former owners are embroiled in a series of heated legal battles. The 15,000 square foot warehouse facility, located two miles away from the Oakland International Airport, opened last October with a press conference at which a number of city officials, including Oakland Mayor Jean Quan (a city councilmember at that time), showed up to support the store in front of the national media.
Read MoreCouncil reconsiders pot farm permits, discusses redevelopment funds
Without voting on a single ordinance, members of a beleaguered Oakland City Council spent Tuesday night’s meeting discussing their two most pressing concerns: threats of prosecution by the state and federal government over the city’s plan to permit industrial cannabis cultivation, and dramatic budget cuts from the governor.
Read MoreThis weekend in Oakland
Community events and activities for the weekend of January 28-30. Got an event we didn’t know about? Please add it in the comments!
Read MoreAfter the 2010 elections, where in the US is medical marijuana legal?
Before the November 2010 election, medical marijuana was legal in 14 states and Washington, DC, but nine electoral contests this year put states’ pot laws on the ballot. With this interactive map, reporter Abby Baird breaks down the outcomes of those elections, and reveals where medical marijuana is legal now.
Read More2010 in Oakland: The year’s biggest stories
2010 was a tumultuous year for Oakland as both the city and state faced a heated election season, the courts weighed the validity of controversial measures passed during previous elections, and the effects of the 2008 financial collapse continued to reverberate throughout the local economy, but it was also a year of new beginnings. Oakland North presents a guide to the year’s top stories.
Read MorePot on the 2010 California ballot: What passed and what didn’t?
This November, eight California counties had marijuana related legislation on their local ballots. Here’s an interactive map showing what passed and what didn’t.
Read MoreHow Oakland became ground zero for the legal-cannabis argument: a public tour through Oaksterdam
Over the past 15 years Oakland has become the the epicenter of a national conversation about the legalization, taxation and regulation of marijuana. How did this happen? It started with the coalescing of an open-minded city council, an impoverished downtown, and a handful of determined activists.
Read MoreCouncil doubles pot farm permits, chooses city ID card supplier
At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Oakland City Council approved a major contractor to implement a municipal ID card system, almost a year and half after passing an ordinance allowing the city to issue the cards, and also voted to increase the number of cannabis producer permits in the city from four to eight.
Read MoreOakland voters weigh in on prospects of Proposition 19
To legalize or not to legalize? On November 2, Californinans will vote on Proposition 19, which if passed, would legalize the consumption and sale of recreational marijuana. Oakland North caught up with Oaklanders in Temescal and City Center to get their take on the controversial proposition.
Read MoreMedical marijuana advocate explains stance against Proposition 19
As a medical marijuana patient, Ryan Landers relies on the drug to stomach a single meal each day. Despite his support of previous landmark legislation, Landers has taken a stand against Proposition 19, on the state ballot next Tuesday, which would legalize several marijuana related activities.
Read MorePot possibilities: Locals imagine a state with legalized marijuana
Oakland North reporters Abby Baird and Teresa Chin asked a former Bay Area police officer, a smoke shop employee, a retired emergency physician, and a Berkeley parent to share their best guesses about what will happen if California passes Proposition 19, the measure to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
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