I just got done hanging out at a dispensary while visiting a friend. My friend needed to get some oil, and I always like to tag along to visit a new dispensary wherever I’m at if I get a chance. When I walked in, I noticed some three ring binders on the table with a cover label saying ‘Weed Blog.’ Apparently the owners of the dispensary have been printing our articles and putting them in folders for people to see, and for quite sometime now. I think it’s safe to say that I liked the place right away :)
I got to talking with the front desk lady, and she told me a very disturbing story. The city in which the dispensary is located (Salem, Oregon) is trying to force them to move. Even thought the dispensary is compliant with state laws, the City of Salem is trying to make them move because they are too close to a city park. And this is not the first time they have had to move. They have already been forced to move two other times. Moving a dispensary is not exactly easy. Both times they were forced to move by the City of Salem, and they have decided that enough is enough.
The people that own the place are very nice, and help out a lot of people, including my good friend and contributor to this blog Arr Kellz from Spaceship Earth Farms. Rather than move for a third time, they are deciding to try to fight the city, which is something I hope TWB readers can help out with. The owners of the dispensary have a GoFundMe page, which I’m encouraging everyone to donate to. The crowd funding effort will help them with their legal costs, which won’t be cheap. Below is language from the GoFundMe page. If you aren’t able to make a donation, at least give them a ‘like’ on Facebook, and check them out on dispensary review sites like THCFinder and Leafly (I couldn’t find a WeedMaps page, but if I do, I’ll make sure to add it):
We are Oregon Chronic Solutions Alternative Healing Center. We have been open since 2011, and have been serving the needs of many patients throughout the Salem area ever since. Our mission statement is to provide the support, education and counsel to anyone with SERIOUS medical needs and want to be less dependent on major pharmaceuticals and have obtained their OMMP certification. Unfortunately, our store is threatened. We are being asked to move our location by the City of Salem.
The city is discriminating against medical marijuana and its patients and industry, and believes they can disregard state law by asking an established business, to move its location based on a ”vote” (not by the people) but by the city counsel, to add city parks to the 1000ft perimeter. State law states nothing of city parks. This move will not only be hard on us as a local (and VERY locally business driven) business, but it will be hard on our patients as well, many who are not able to drive, use our convenient location because it makes getting their medication, education of their medicine, and counsel of their medicine (much like a pharmacy) possible.
These unjust actions by the city have given us no choice but to stand up for OUR RIGHTS and hire an attorney. We are asking for donations to help us pay our attorney fees and in the process those donations will help us make history and pave the way for the rising cannabis industry. We as a people have the responsibility to make sure our rights are being respected by our governments. We demand to get what we as a people voted for! Help us stand up for all of our rights!! Lets end discrimination of, and the prohibition of, cannabis!!
