Pubdate: Tue, 8 Jul 2008
Source: Times-Standard (Eureka, CA)
Copyright: 2008 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Contact: http://www.times-standard.com/writealettertotheeditor
Website: http://www.times-standard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1051
Author: Robert Gelder

HMS DOES PROP. 215 RIGHT

I am writing on behalf of Humboldt Medical Supply, a medical 
marijuana dispensary. As a patient for two years, I am familiar with 
their quality standards.  After attending Arcata City Council 
meetings, I cannot help but take issue with the city's attempts to 
dissuade them from conducting a legitimate business in a safe, open, 
and forthright manner after the expenditure of several hundred 
thousand dollars. HMS has met or exceeded all requirements placed 
upon them.  They operate in a discreet manner. In fact, their ethics 
is one of the main reasons I chose HMS.

The city is concerned that there would be groups of patients hanging 
out and using their medication in public. This idea is nothing less 
than laughable. What does the city do to control the drunks and 
rowdies on the Plaza?

The issue was raised that by allowing HMS to grow marijuana at their 
dispensary location would somehow result in a proliferation of 
dispensaries on the plaza and grow houses throughout the city. I 
agree that illegal grow houses are a huge problem. HMS, on the other 
hand, obtained proper permits to build a very secure grow space at 
great expense, with state-of-the-art filtration systems to reduce 
smell. To now penalize them after the fact seems capricious at best 
and malicious at the very least.

One of the city's strongest allies will be businesses which operate 
legitimately, which HMS has proven itself to be: Offering a quality 
product safely, discreetly, and directly to patients at reasonable or 
sometimes no cost.

Robert Gelder

McKinleyville 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake