Letter to the Editor:
I wholeheartedly support the opening of dispensaries in Burbank. It’s ridiculous that we are letting Studio City, Universal City and North Hollywood take tax dollars from Burbank – especially since the residents of Burbank keep voting down any type of parcel tax to help our city and schools. The State of California received $306.7 million dollars in tax revenue off cannabis sales in Q3 2020 alone – just a 3 month period – and this number is growing. The cannabis business tax can be anywhere from 5-15% and it would go directly to the City of Burbank.
For those who object out of fear and misinformation, I recommend visiting dispensaries in neighboring cities to actually see how they are run. They look like an Apple store or a boutique and they all have hired security to check IDs and enforce safety. This is mainly due to the fact that they are forced to be cash businesses because of current federal banking laws. This will change once the federal government legalizes cannabis – which they are on the road to do soon with the passage of the MORE Act H.R.3884 in 2020.
For those who object because it’s an intoxicant, the City of Burbank has long supported the sale of alcohol. There are hundreds of places where you can purchase and enjoy alcohol in Burbank. Liquor stores, supermarkets, drug stores, Target – and don’t forget restaurants, breweries, pubs, and bars. It’s everywhere. And yet alcohol is far more dangerous than cannabis. You can drink yourself to death in a night.
We now have a glut of empty storefronts all over Burbank. Dispensaries are Mom & Pop shops. Burbank has a strong tradition of great local Mom & Pop shops that bring in folks from all over Southern California and beyond to visit, dine, and shop. Let’s welcome dispensaries to that club in Burbank.
Jamie O’Brien Moore
Jamie, let me guess…you’re a Democrat born in the 60’s? You’ve failed to consider the immense cost taxpayers are paying for ER visits for cannabis-related overdoses which are not reported with precision but are all over the news. Pot tourism has resulted in thousands of edibles overdoses! And these out-of-town tourist come to check out the pot scene, consume way too much and end up in the ER with US PAYING THE BILL. Your arguments about taxes are specious. All cannabis sales to Burbank residents, i.e. delivery sales, are required to be taxes. The Burbank PD can enforce this with simple sting operations! The delivery sales will rapidly become properly handled and the sellers will pay the taxes due. We do not need strip clubs, porn movie theaters and pot shops in Burbank. My brother and nephew both suffered from cannabis addiction. No thanks. We don’t need it here. People buy gasoline here but we don’t need a refinery in Burbank. We drive cars but we don’t need steel mills here. Dude, toke your smoke at home and order delivery. Yeah…dude you can enjoy it without a pot shop brah.
What a degrading and inflammatory comment.
Your beliefs that cannabis dispensaries are unnecessary and tied to overdoses and addiction are antiquated and ridiculous. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and no one’s opinion carries more weight than the next person’s.
You devalued your comment when you put “let me guess…you’re a Democrat born in the 60’s?” as your first line. This is utter bollocks. And, you sir, need to check your male entitlement and absurd self-interest when you leave comments for others to read.
The comment was intended to be inflammatory.
I am putting down my real name so you know it. Why don’t you?
A am neighbors with the OP and a person familiar with the matter has informed me of these facts…so no guesswork was involved. Ask for yourself. The OP is a native born Californian, Democrat born in the 60’s. Ask for yourself.
There is no such thing as an ER visit because of cannabis-related overdoses. Nice try.
You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts. Use Google. https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/dec/18/has-legal-weed-increased-er-visits-and-use-among-t/
I wish that were true – my nephew has been to the hospital twice from marijuana induced psychosis as the attending physician called it. We don’t need pot shops here, there are plenty a short ways away in NoHo if folks need to get high.
Agree with Christopher Spencer as we do not need strip clubs, porn movie theaters and more pot shops in Burbank (we already have a few Cannabais dispensaries / CBD shops). I don’t think taking a nice stroll by yourself, kids, family or out of town guest would need or enjoy a bunch of CBD shops to walk into. Bring back the mom and pop stores that have been around for so many years before the pandemic. That is the charm which attracts people to Burbank.
Thank you. Agreed. Someone today asked me why I don’t move out of state…if I have so many complaints about California’s state of affairs. This is my home. I will be here for the duration. Arguments about empty stores and the need for more taxes is exactly the type of tactic leftists use to persuade vulnerable cities. Burbank does have a budget crisis looming very soon. I have many times recommended to the City they put tremendous focus on business development. Councilman Schultz has proposed a taskforce for this and I am in favor of putting that into motion. The “lost tax” argument is bogus since every pot delivery is taxable and I have recommended to Burbank PD they set up sting operations to prosecute any pot delivery service that isn’t paying their City tax. Any sick people or stoners who want their weed can simply order it–now. Thanks.
Per MyBurbank’s own website poll regarding resident’s opinions on having a marijuana dispensary in Burbank:
Interesting poll results about having marijuana dispensaries in Burbank
48% Yes – No restrictions
29% Yes – not in residential
04% Yes – Delivery Only
19% No Way
1,293 votes • Final results
“Any sick people or stoners who want their weed can simply order it–now. Thanks.” This isn’t good enough, Christopher. You can do better.
If you were to rely on polls Hillary Clinton would become president.
If anyone is really for this put your name on it.
To all who read this…remember that there are poll farms out there and polls are gamed all the time. How do I know? I have been directly involved in IT, polling and election projects for over 20 years.
While you are entitled to your own opinions, you are not entitled to your own facts.
There are oodles of reliable studies showing that cannabis is abused by children and that it results in higher taxpayer-borne costs. Ooooooooooooooodles.
Here’s one: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5083207/
“Adolescents aged 12-17 years showed the largest increase in the cannabis-only-involved ED visit rate”
“Between 2004 and 2011, the ED visit rate increased from 51 to 73 visits per 100,000 population”
To give you a sense of how much it costs to have an ER visit…
My friend, who has no insurance (and I have encouraged him to…he has the money) went to the County because he was in a hurry to be treated…suffered severe pain from kidney stones. The visit was a mere few hours, no treatment, just a visit…was $18,000+ dollars (he got a bill).
So for anyone saying no big deal, do the research.
It’s easy to be a keyboard warrior, but our taxes are going sky high.
And even with legalization, high taxes have pushed even more black market pot onto the market.
California’s Cannabis Black Market Is Insanely Larger Than Its Legal Market
Almost three-quarters of all marijuana purchased in California this year will be of the illicit variety.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/09/14/californias-cannabis-black-market-is-insanely-larg.aspx
I am not here to win a popularity contest, I am a fed up taxpayer.
FED UP
Everyone claims their way is best.
I hit the books and see what is really going on.
Smoke your dope, be high. It is your body.
But keep that crap out of the sight of children and off our beautiful Burbank shopping districts.
No No No No thank you.
Protect kids, they are smoking this crap.
If you are smoking put that dope in a locked place.
I have been in homes where smokers leave their bongs and joints laying around. No more. I have decided to give those friends a time out.
If you are high do it at home not at Home Depot (my most recent experience with a public pot smoker…)
If you are high do it at home, not on a bench (another recent experience).
If you are high do not drive next to me (yes that was a week ago and this person didn’t even try to hide it).
Give Burbank a break. Drive or have it delivered.
YOU can do better anonymous person.
SAY NO TO POT SHOPS IN BURBANK PLEASE
Unfortunately, Christopher, with this rant, you’ve discredited yourself. You’re only entitled to your own opinion. Let others make their own choices.
Proud Burbank Resident,
Ad hominem attacks are the tool of the person with a weak position.
If it sounds like a rant to you, then it is a rant.
And the Left continue to use ad hominem attacks rather than work with facts.
Have the courage to post your name and let people know who you are…
It takes a lot of courage to stand up against the growing addicts whom we all care about and feel empathy towards. The very small number of individuals who demonstrate a true health issue have complete access to what they need.
Neighbors, it is okay to rise up and speak out.
I will stand beside you. I will go with you.
The County ERs are receiving emergency department visits involving marijuana at an increased rate and we are picking up the tab. People served by our ERs from out of town and out of the country are very likely to skip out on the bill after going to a county health facility.
There has been a 62% increase in emergency department visits involving pot from 2004 to 2011. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5037576/
Attacks claiming I am on a rant is just an ad hominem attack to distract from the facts.
Please do drive to Los Angeles and put your own eyes on this…I guarantee you…pot cities look nothing like Burbank. Do not take my word for it, drive and look. I do so and it is shocking.
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