YUCCA VALLEY MARIJUANA BALLOT INITIATIVE PROPONENT ANSWERS OBJECTIONS

The proposed medical marijuana ordinance for Yucca Valley has met some objections and reservations. Reporter Dan Stork reports that Jason Elsasser, the main proponent of the measure has written a rebuttal to four objections that he terms “myths”…
The Alliance for Safe Access has answers to critics of its proposed Yucca Valley medical marijuana ballot initiative:
1. Once adopted, the Town Council will not be able to amend the initiative.
Elsasser says that the initiative states that the Council may amend the ordinance, to further its purposes.
2. In the event two competing initiatives both receive a simple majority of votes, the two initiatives would be combined piecemeal and then harmonized.
Rather, state law says that the measure with the greatest number of votes will be used.
3. The initiative neglects to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the Town.
Elsasser says that enforceable civil, criminal and administrative penalties for noncompliance already exist within the Town’s Code.
4. The initiative fails to impose a special tax for the purpose of meeting crime-connected expenses that would likely ensue.
The rejoinder has three points: There is no clear-cut evidence that dispensaries increase crime, and there is some evidence to the contrary; joining a tax to the ordinance is probably unconstitutional; and the Town has the power to assess fees for different types of business activities.