Alameda, CA Closes Door on Medical Marijuana
November 14th, 2008 by Perry
Alameda County, CA just became the most recent city to close the door on medical marijuana, passing a 45-day moratorium on the expansion or establishment of dispensaries. The move comes in response to the “Purple Elephant,” a dispensary which opened on Webster St., a busier part of town.
City officials claimed the owner “snuck through” the permitting process by only writing that he was seeking to open a “retail operation.” Although why not ask a question when you see the name Purple Elephant, if you’re so concerned?
Some 14 years later, a new generation of county supervisors is still sorting through its options. For example, in July, the board agreed to allow licensed dispensaries in unincorporated Alameda County to carry hashish, but would not allow these same dispensaries to carry food made with marijuana.
The move is no doubt intended to give local legislators time to find a legal way to remove the Purple Elephant and create a lasting ban. Again, the vague wording of Prop. 215 continues to cause confusion and harassment of legitimate business owners.
