65A - RPT - REGARDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE

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CHAPTER 4 POLICE AND COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ISSUES Primary Impacts As of March 3, 2013 Community Preservation staff has confirmed 52 illegal medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the City. The initiative's proposed minimum of 22 registered collectives or cooperatives will not result in the voluntary closure of illegal dispensaries. This analysis does not address the continued enforcement which will be required to address illegal medical marijuana dispensaries that would be operating without registration. However, additional Police and Code Enforcement staff will be required to address complaints regarding quality of life and safety of the citizens of Santa Ana, arising from the operation of the 22 registered collectives and cooperatives. The MMPA authorizes collectives and cooperatives, but does not authorize dispensaries. Primary impacts on public safety in the City of Santa Ana experienced due to existing medical marijuana dispensaries involve sales to minors, increased drug dealing, robbery of customers, burglaries of the dispensaries, increased attractive nuisance activities including loitering, litter, public urination, heavy vehicle and pedestrian foot traffic in commercial, professional and manufacturing areas. The initiative does not include any enforcement tools that would allow Police and Code Enforcement to address these issues. Information received by the Police Department indicates that dispensaries are commonly large money making enterprises. In California the dispensary operations have been tied to organized criminal gangs, can foster large grow operations, and are often multi-million dollar profit centers (Exhibit 3 - White Paper on Marijuana Dispensaries by California Police Chiefs Associations Task Force on Marijuana Dispensaries 2009). The initiative limits Registration only to dispensaries that have been operating in Santa Ana since at least December 31, 2011, despite the fact that Santa Ana has banned all medical marijuana dispensaries since 2005. The initiative does not allow for City review of the application to determine what complaints and investigations have been directed at the dispensary, thereby undermining the City's ability to deny a Registration to the most egregious storefront dispensaries, frequently operated by organized crime. As long as the applicant provides evidence that it operated a dispensary since December 31, 2011, a Registration would be allowed. Secondary Impacts Secondary impacts attributed to medical marijuana dispensaries arise from the incompatibility of this type of business with adjacent businesses and residences. 14 65A-20