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Dr. Joan Irvine

And the Saga Continues in Redondo Beach and Cannabis


June 21, 2024

... it's been a month and no visible forward progress.


Each delay denies Redondo with much-needed tax revenue. PLUS it puts the safety of our seniors and youth in jeopardy because it fosters the growth of the illicit market.


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Almost two years ago, I was celebrating with Jonatan Cvetko after a Redondo Beach City Council meeting where the recommendations from the Cannabis Advisory Committee were approved AND we thought we would have dispensaries within the year.


Sadly, our celebration was short-lived - it's two years later and there are still no dispensaries or legal delivery in Redondo Beach. SO FRUSTRATING!


Once again and the same as I've been doing since 2017, I continue to advocate for cannabis legalization. At the May 21 2024 City Council meeting, I requested that City Staff bring cannabis legalization as an agenda item to the City Council every TWO weeks until the City has chosen the two companies that will receive licenses. My public comment is at 2:18


Or if you want to read my comment:


I want to thank the City staff and City Council for moving forward on the legalization of cannabis dispensaries and delivery last week. I would be more excited if we hadn’t been at this exact same place two years ago. So I implore you to move forward as quickly as possible so we are not at this same place in two years.


I am somewhat concerned about a timely solution with how City Attorney Mike Webb stated all the other ‘more important’ agenda items that need to be addressed in the next few months. I would ask that the city prioritize cannabis legalization and bring it back as an agenda item every two weeks until the City has chosen the two finalists.


In the meantime, I will continue to educate people about cannabis. For example, tomorrow at 2 PM on my radio show Your Best Life on Healthy Life net, my guests are Sherri and Elisabeth Mack, the Green Nurses. These are the same nurses who were featured in a Cancer Support Community webinar on cannabis and cancer.


Next month my guest will be Sue Taylor, an advocate for seniors and health. She used to be a Catholic school principal but pivoted to opening a dispensary in Berkley to serve the senior community to now she along with Sanjay Gupta were featured on Anderson Cooper’s The Last Word: Weed - a Senior Moment on CNN.  Plus she has her own podcast Plants Over Pills.


Also, I blog about cannabis and health at drjoanirvine.com > Ask Dr. Joan.

 

Speaking of education, many mainstream colleges are offering either certificates or degrees in cannabis. For example: just a few

·     The College of the Desert

·     UC-Riverside

·     UCLA has a research project institute.

·     Fullerton College offers a Cannabis Studies Associate in Arts Degree

·     UC- Irvine has a Center for the Study of Cannabis

·     Plus, there are several certificate programs offered by the cannabis industry.


So please move forward as quickly as possible and stop denying adults easier access to the health benefits of cannabis and fostering the growth of the illegal unlicensed market that sells to children; perhaps even fentanyl-laced cannabis. 


On a personal, today is my 3rd anniversary of being “Cali-Sober’. I used cannabis beverages to transition from alcohol. I did this for health reasons since alcohol contributes to so many health issues.


Speaking of health, it is summertime and bands are playing all over the South Bay, so go dancing – it is good for your health! Baby Boomers Still Rock!


To Health and Happiness.

 

 

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