Healthier, Safer, and Stronger Half Moon Bay

This petition requests the City Council to enact common-sense ordinances regulating medical and adult-use cannabis businesses, from cultivation to retail sales, for a Healthier, Safer, and Stronger Half Moon Bay.

With the November 8, 2016 passage of Proposition 64, California voters legalized the adult-use of cannabis under State law and directed State agencies to develop a regulatory and licensing program for commercial cannabis businesses. Local governments have the authority to further regulate commercial cannabis activities (both medical and adult-use) within their jurisdictions.

-69% of Half Moon Bay voted for Proposition 64 and supports medical and adult-use cannabis: https://www.half-moon-bay.ca.us/482/Background---Half-Moon-Bay-Cannabis-Issu

-Half Moon Bay City Council is presently considering nursery licensing of commercial greenhouse cultivation of immature, non-flowering cannabis plants: https://www.half-moon-bay.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/1432

Local, regulated cannabis businesses - from cultivation to retail - will lead to a:

HEALTHIER HALF MOON BAY
Senior and adult medical patients suffering from chronic pain and other health conditions will have safe, regulated access to cannabis so they may take advantage of the well-known therapeutic benefits, thereby improving their lives and participation in our community. Further, peer reviewed medical research published in the Journal of American Medical Association shows that state-regulated cannabis programs reduce opioid overdose deaths by 25% (Bachhuber et al, 2014) and significantly reduce the number of opioid prescriptions written, particularly for seniors (Bradford et al, 2018).

-“Massive Scientific Report on Marijuana Confirms Medical Benefits,” (January 12, 2017): https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/01/massive-scientific-report-on-marijuana-confirms-medical-benefits/

-“Where marijuana is legal, opioid prescriptions fall, studies find” (April 2, 2018): https://www.statnews.com/2018/04/02/marijuana-legal-opioid-prescriptions/

SAFER HALF MOON BAY
The absence of local regulation and local taxation invites criminal activity and grows the illicit market, thereby endangering our community and exposing our children to risk. More importantly, as reported by the Washington Post, common-sense community regulations reduce teen use of cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, and heroin.

-“Legal Cannabis Entrepreneurs in California Get a Rude Awakening: a Thriving Black Market” (January 4, 2018): https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/california-recreational-marijuana-and-black-market.html

-“Following marijuana legalization, teen drug use is down in Colorado” (December 11, 2017): https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/11/following-marijuana-legalization-teen-drug-use-is-down-in-colorado/

STRONGER HALF MOON BAY
Without local regulation and the opportunity for local businesses to control all aspects of the cannabis market, our community will be subject to the whims and market conditions of those around us. Absence of regulation weakens economic opportunities for our citizens and deprives the City of revenue needed to support schools, law enforcement, and other services to improve and protect our community.

We stand with Vice Mayor Harvey Rarback and the concerns of our community about the decline in the local cut-flower industry and the need "to revitalize the agricultural heritage of Half Moon Bay, and [the proposed cannabis nursery ordinance] would be a great way to start.” - San Mateo County Journal (February 27, 2018): https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/half-moon-bay-looking-to-commercial-cannabis/article_6bac78ae-1b75-11e8-b814-67d688df4f77.html

-“How Colorado’s Booming Marijuana Industry Is Helping Fight Homelessness and Drug Addiction” (June 1, 2017): http://time.com/money/4801768/colorado-marijuana-industry-tax-revenue/

-“How legal marijuana could change California’s economy” (February 20, 2018): http://www.businessinsider.com/how-legal-marijuana-could-change-californias-economy-2018-2

Urge the Half Moon Bay City Council to protect our community through common-sense local regulation of cannabis businesses!