cannabisnews.com: Anti-Smoking Laws Threaten 'Oaksterdam'










  Anti-Smoking Laws Threaten 'Oaksterdam'

Posted by CN Staff on November 08, 2003 at 20:32:09 PT
By Alex Katz, Staff Writer 
Source: Oakland Tribune  

Oakland -- The city's conflict with medical marijuana clubs in the "Oaksterdam" area continued this week, when one club was threatened with hundreds of dollars in fines for violating Oakland's anti-smoking laws. The city sent a letter Friday to the 420 Cafe on Telegraph Avenue, charging the club with violating city ordinances by allowing patrons to smoke inside and outside the building, and by not posting "No Smoking" signs.
The club could face fines of up to $500 per violation, according to the letter, which ends "Thank you for helping to make the City of Oakland a healthier place." Club employees could not be reached for comment late Friday. The 420 Cafe is one of about eight medical cannabis clubs in the area. Some city leaders say the clubs cater to recreational pot smokers, and have vowed to close most of the businesses and regulate the rest. Club owners say they serve thousands of sick patients and are revitalizing the neighborhood. The city's municipal code bans smoking of both cigarettes and "weed" in "all businesses patronized by the public." City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente (San Antonio-Fruitvale), a leading opponent of un-regulated pot clubs, said other clubs may get letters if they're found violating the anti-smoking laws. "Letters are going to the ones violating the laws" De La Fuente said. "It might be one and it might be three. "If it was up to me," De La Fuente added, "We would have shut them down yesterday." De La Fuente said the City Council will consider his proposal later this month to close all but three clubs, which he said would be regulated like bars or "cabarets." There were a few dozen people -- but no sign of marijuana smoke -- outside a row of clubs on Telegraph Avenue on Friday evening. Oakland was one of the first cities to legitimize the use of medical marijuana by deputizing a former club on Broadway. But that club was shut down by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in 1998, and a number of businesses sprang up in the neighborhood to replace it. Note: City warns at least one club.Source: Oakland Tribune (CA)Author: Alex Katz, Staff WriterPublished:  Saturday, November 08, 2003Copyright: 2003 MediaNews Group, Inc. Contact: triblet angnewspapers.com Website: http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/Cannabis Clubs Put Council in Tight Spothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17694.shtmlMedical Pot Has Council in Dithershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17424.shtmlDe La Fuente Declares War Against Oaksterdam http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17363.shtml 

Home    Comment    Email    Register    Recent Comments    Help






 


Comment #3 posted by CongressmanSuet on November 09, 2003 at 14:37:03 PT:

Why not baked goods?
    Has this not been considered?
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #2 posted by The GCW on November 09, 2003 at 06:54:39 PT

The Crack of Cannabis Activists
There are anti smoking bans put into place across America that do not address the medical cannabis (marijuana) issue. These new bans do not mention vaporizer technology, do not make exception to vaporizers, or exception to citizens using cannabis for medical reasons. The laws do not leave room for businesses to open for cannabis cafés, where every patron, wishes to smoke or be in the environment of cannabis smoke.It has been said in the past that there is a deep hunger for Americans to have a prohibition and the only way to rid of cannabis prohibition is to replace it with another prohibition. The implications go beyond cig smoke. Freedom is more important than cig smoke. I am against banning cigs. because I don’t want to allow the police any more power than they already have. I don’t want any more Gov. regulations!We may be stopped from seeing cannabis cafés flourish in the future because of anti nicotine laws.And then the ?, can people use vaporizers with nicotine use in public places? Does the smoking ban, ban vaporizers? Can a bar for example make available or allow people use of vaporizers in a public bar, and then allow nicotine use????I voted against the smoking ban in Our election last Tuesday, but it passed about 2 to 1 anyway. Now I will attempt to attend the meetings that will conspire to make up the policy that will go into effect, so to guide a cannabis friendly virsion of the written law, that they will enforce.Our election did not make the smoking ban automatic, but rather will require county commissioners to confront the issue… and make law, or something to that effect... The anti smoking bans do effect the cannabis cause and should be well thought out.These facets have been on My mind due to the current election issue, locally, and now I am seeing the exact relationship in this news item.We’re potentially a progressive people. If people are to make public smoking bans, there should be exceptions.   One written exception would be to signify in writing that the present smoking ban only relates to nicotine cigarette and tobacco products and does not extend to any future potential laws relegalizing cannabis and potentially allowing cannabis cafes. There should be exceptions to cigarette smokers that use vaporizers, (nuked powered, powered by lap top input… or what ever) if in fact it is desirable that a cig smoker also approves.Helpful: attend these meetings that are used to make the actual writing of the law. Even if they do not implement demands to acknowledge cannabis in their smoking bans, as different than nicotine cigs, they will have heard that cannabis is to be respected and to expect to see the cannabis issue coming and not going… Cannabis is not just here… IT IS GROWING.Cannabis activists... -The Crack of Cannabis Activists, must not support Government enforced, public smoking bans.

[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on November 09, 2003 at 06:37:45 PT

Smoking ban
I hope all of y'all that supported smoking bans are happy now.  Wake up! Anytime the government restricts freedom we lose. 
[ Post Comment ]





  Post Comment