Oakland In Process of Approving Medical Marijuana

Oakland, California, the forerunner of medical marijuana legalization for a long time now, could be the first city in the United States to legalize industrial marijuana production. This decision was made by Oakland's City Council this week. Some fear; however, that this decision may massively increase the commercialization of marijuana growing which now is mostly done under raps, illegally.

The vote was five to two in favor of permitting four very large marijuana factories to commercialize the crop under close supervision. This decision came hours of public testimony for and against the new ordinance. Berkeley, California may be next in line to approve such an ordinance. Voters will decide the fate of marijuana production in six industrial operations in Berkley in November.

The Los Angeles Times reported a statement from Dale Gieringer, a longtime resident of Oakland and the head of California NORML, a group which in favor of the legalization of marijuana. Gieringer said, "This is a monumental step forward. It really means moving into the era of industrial-scale operations, and Oakland means to do it big."

According the New York Times, Oakland, California is a city struggling in debt. Oakland faces a thirty one million dollar deficit and has a seventeen percent unemployment rate. It has been estimated that when opened and fully functioning, these marijuana factories could bring in as much as thirty eight million dollars annually in fees and taxes for the city. And it could create numerous jobs for the unemployed.

Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, who is running for mayor of Oakland stated, "As the industry continues to emerge and grow, we know that other cities are looking at this. It’s important for Oakland to be a vital part of the growth and development of licensed facilities.”

Oakland, California has been a city known for its push towards the legalization of medical marijuana for some time now as the drug has been growing anyway, but completely unregulated. The new law for legal pot growing for medicinal purposes will be finalized next week and upon final approval, the law will go into effect in January.

Mandates on the process will be strict, however. Since the new ordinate will most likely bring large-scale marijuana cultivators out into the open, they will be instructed to pay a $211,000 annual fee, provide security, conduct criminal background checks on employees, install camera surveillance and fire-safe electrical systems, and buy insurance.

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