cannabisnews.com: City Withholds Permits from Cannabis Clubs City Withholds Permits from Cannabis Clubs Posted by CN Staff on June 15, 2004 at 06:52:01 PT By Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff Writer Source: San Francisco Chronicle Oaksterdam is on its deathbed. Oakland's once-bustling downtown enclave of medical marijuana clubs is about to disappear -- less than a year after it earned its nickname -- after city officials refused last week to issue permits to several popular establishments. "All that you see around us will be gone,'' Jeff Jones, executive director of Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative, said Monday. "They're shutting almost everyone down, and I don't think that's good for the patients. I'm glad the city is involved in regulation, but it's also driving away businesses that could be paying revenue" to the city. Most of about a dozen cannabis enterprises in the city, including four in the 1700 block of Telegraph Avenue, are being forced to close or stay open as cafes -- without selling marijuana -- or risk the wrath of Oakland police. The closures began June 1 when a new ordinance took effect. In February, the Oakland City Council adopted an ordinance allowing the city to regulate marijuana clubs and limited their number to four. The ordinance requires that no marijuana dispensary be located within 1,000 feet of another. Club operators, customers and advocates of medical cannabis had hoped the city would allow more of Oaksterdam's clubs to remain open. "It's been very confusing,'' said Richard Lee, who owned two cannabis clubs in downtown Oakland -- the SR71 Cafe on 17th Street and the Bulldog Coffee Shop at 1739 Broadway. Lee said city officials told him on May 29 that he would receive a permit to keep selling marijuana at the Bulldog but not at SR71. Then last week, he found out he could only sell medical marijuana at the smaller cafe, SR71. "I've operated the Bulldog for five years, and I think we've provided a good service for people,'' Lee said. Snipped: Complete Article: http://freedomtoexhale.com/clubs.htm Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - Page B - 1 Copyright: 2004 San Francisco Chronicle Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Related Articles & Web Sites:OCBChttp://www.rxcbc.org/California NORMLhttp://www.canorml.org/Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmMarijuana Merchant Defies Order To Closehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18934.shtmlCity Cannabis Clubs Forced To Competehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18667.shtmlCouncil Looks To Trim Number of Pot Clubshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18215.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by ekim on June 15, 2004 at 20:35:25 PT mr moonbeam please play me a song what has Jerry Brown the mayor of Oakland and is running for AG for CA. have to say about this new reg. and taxation. http://www.mmdetroit.org [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on June 15, 2004 at 12:33:00 PT Related Article from The Associated Press New City Ordinance Doom Pot Clubs in "Oaksterdam" NeighborhoodJune 15, 2003OAKLAND, Calif. - Several medical marijuana clubs in a downtown neighborhood face closure after an ordinance allowing the city to regulate the clubs went into effect June 1.The neighborhood - nicknamed Oaksterdam, after the freewheeling Dutch capital where marijuana use has been decriminalized - is home to about a dozen clubs, where patients bearing a doctor's note can purchase marijuana for medical purposes.In February, facing complaints from some businesses and residents about increased crime and other problems associated with the clubs, the city council adopted an ordinance limiting the number of clubs to four. The rest of the clubs will have to stop selling marijuana, or face a crackdown by police."All that you see around us will be gone," Jeff Jones, executive director of Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative, said Monday. "They're shutting almost everyone down, and I don't think that's good for the patients."While federal law prohibits the use or sale of marijuana for any reason, nine states including California permit the use of marijuana for medical purposes.In 1998, Oakland enacted one of the most sweeping protections of medical marijuana use in the country, allowing patients to possess 24 times the amount of pot permitted under state law.Councilwoman Nancy Nadel, whose district includes Oaksterdam, supported the new ordinance but said she hopes to revisit the law and allow more clubs to remain open. Copyright: 2004 Associated Press [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Virgil on June 15, 2004 at 11:02:25 PT Talked me into it, RPZ Only third party candidates for me with maybe a write in for prez. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on June 15, 2004 at 10:58:08 PT: RICHARD LEE IS A BULLDOG MAN! A gentleman who I believe goes by the name of Richard Lee, confined to a wheelchair, sat at a table with information about The Fully Informed Jury Association, some four years ago, at the annual NORML Conference. Apparently, he was listed in Texas. Afterwards, I got ahold of him at The Bulldog. He tolerated my taunts about his wheelchair confinement. I appreciate his presence. Recently, I entered in an agreement with the Law Book Exchange, www.lawbookexchange.com, for the purchase of a 52 page brochure entitled THE ENGLISHMAN'S RIGHT, co-written by Sir Francis Bacon, circa 1780, at a total cost of $500, with an installment plan of $100/month. THE ENGLISHMAN'S RIGHT is about the duties of the jury. My interest is not only to retain the brochure but also to have reprints made to give to people, to show the people that the trial judges in this country lie to the jury, by instructing the jury that the jury MUST follow the judge's instructions of law even if the jury disagrees with the law!! I've sent plenty of letters to local BOARDS OF EDUCATION to improve the curriculum of public schools for the students to be taught the RELEVANT dark side of government, including this JURY NULLIFICATION issue, the Hemp/Marihuana issues, the fact that the people who gave substantial assistance to Adolph Hitler was President Bush's Grandfather and Great Grandfather, along with Rockefeller, during an oil Embargo [Standard Oil of New Jersey].Recently, it was revealed that 274 employees of the United States Department of Defense have phony credentials! Worst, according to www.expertwitnessradio.org, the United States Department of Defense has been unable to account for $3 TRILLION of tax money! When I told these two facts to Congressman Rush Holt, at the recent www.aclu-nj.org picnic, he simply exhibited a facial expression of surprise and walked away. There was plenty of evidence that the U.S. government knew the September 11, 2001, incident was going to take place, www.copvcia.com. The U.S. government locks us up for Cannabis, while the Central Intelligence Agency launders over $600 BILLION/year of drug money, thru Wall Street, through such banks such as CITIBANK, www.copvcia.com!! Is this the kind of government you people want? As far as I am concerned, Republicans are just as bad as Democrats. Accordingly, I will vote for 3rd party, such as Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, Libertarian Party, or Green Party. Unlike the recent paltry voting in Europe. I hope everybody who votes for Republic and Democrat suffer the fate of the victims of this Republican/Democrat policies!!! Just like voting as a juror, I will vote on my conscience, not "the lesser of two evils!"Richard Paul Zuckerman, Box 159, Metuchen, New Jersey, 08840-0159, (Cell telephone number)(908) 403-6990, richardzuckerman2002 yahoo.com. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Agog on June 15, 2004 at 09:45:09 PT Things that make you go "hmmmm" I think it would be very interesting to find out how much Federal funding the city gets.... and if any deals were made that helped this along. Too many unanswered questions here. As is often said, "follow the money".Agog [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on June 15, 2004 at 08:32:11 PT Government is the US is rotten $20,000 each! That's appalling! The government is so against marijuana, they're going to make $80,000 per year of off sick people. That's great guys. Good work. This is the kind of stuff that pushed me toward the Libertarian Party. People have the best of intentions for government, but it always ends up being a greedy, corrupt entity. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment