Oakland Committee Approves City Sanctioned Pot Grows
An Oakland City Council committee has approved legislation that would allow four industrial-sized medical marijuana-growing operations. The council's Public Safety Committee voted 3-to-1 Tuesday night meaning Oakland would become the first city in the nation to license wholesale pot cultivation. The measure still needs to be approved by the full council.
The idea is to lower prices and to make pot easier to regulate.
Council members Larry Reid and Rebecca Kaplan are sponsoring the bill to reduce the fire danger associated with marijuana grows in homes and unregulated warehouses.
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Kaplan says the commercial pot growing operations would only be allowed to sell back to collectives, and would create jobs in the process.
Some small growers spoke out against the plan at Tuesday's meeting. Local pot grower Dan, who didn't want his last name used, told CBS 5 the proposal would put him out of business.
"I may have to think about a different career," said Dan. "It may no longer be feasible for me to do what I'm doing."
