Letter: Leave most of cannabis regulations to the voters

(The following was send to the SLT Mayor and City Council members and South Tahoe Now)

Dear Honorable Mayor David and Council Members:

I am writing as a follow-up to my email communication of March 6, 2018 regarding the regulation of cannabis within the City limits.

I once again applaud the City Council for studying the issue carefully. It is an important issue and the decision on it will impact the type of community we become well into the future.

Recommendation:

In summary, my suggestion is that the City Council identify a few regulatory options that are made clear and simple and then place the choices on the ballot either in June or November, asking the voters of South Lake Tahoe to express their opinion of their preferred course of action. The voters voice is needed in this important public policy matter

Background:

Recreational marijuana sales became legal in California on Jan. 1, 2018, marking a major milestone for the state’s cannabis industry and its many customers. Proposition 64, the voter-approved law that governs recreational pot in the Golden State, however, doesn’t offer the complete freedom to buy, grow and smoke marijuana just anywhere you please. Cities have the right to determine if they will allow the sale and distribution of recreational cannabis within the City limits. The sale of cannabis remains illegal at the Federal level.

Cities throughout California are dealing with the issue of how to regulate recreational cannabis or whether to prohibit sales and cultivation within the city limits. A few cities like Oakland have embraced the commercial sales and distribution of cannabis and see it as a new source of revenue. The City of Escondido recently adopted an ordinance stating in part that no form of commercial marijuana is permitted within city limits. No dispensaries. No cultivation. No deliveries whatsoever.

The issue coming before the City Council is what do we do in South Lake Tahoe? What kind of future do we want for our community? What is good and acceptable to the people who live here full time? The future of South Lake Tahoe belongs first and foremost to the people who live here and vote here.

Please seriously consider letting the voters of South Lake Tahoe decide the matter of how to regulate cannabis within the City limits. While public hearings on the matter are good and welcomed, not all community people go to meetings and some, because of work obligations, cannot do so under any circumstances. Still, the impact of any decision whether in favor or against sales and distribution of recreational cannabis will be long-lasting and shape a portion of the City’s future.

I’ve learned over many years in the public service to trust the people. They must have a voice in important public policy matters, and they have the right to be right or wrong. It is their City and their future, not that of government officials whether elected or appointed. By placing the matter on the ballot proponents and opponents of recreational cannabis can inform the voters of their position and ensure a good public discussion of the matter. I can accept whatever they decide. While I do not advocate that all public policy matters be placed on the ballot, important issues affecting the City’s future are good candidates for a public vote.

Conclusion:

My best wishes to all of you for a positive and inclusive outcome to this matter. I know decisions on these matters are not easy ones to make.

- David

David Jinkens, MPA
City Resident