"Santa Monica has enough problems without adding to them."
Oct. 1, 2014 Whitney Scott Bain

Candidate has not provided a detailed response to this question.
Oct. 1, 2014 Nick Boles

"While the addition of medical marijuana dispensaries has added to the crime levels in some areas of Los Angeles, I believe we can position two dispensaries in Santa Monica in order to avoid the issues that have arisen in LA.

There are dispensaries located in both West LA and in Venice and neither has added to the crime levels in its neighborhoods. By requiring the dispensaries to accept major credit cards, and by emphasizing the selling of edible goods rather than the smoking of marijuana, the prospect of crime will be reduced. In addition, the placement of the two dispensaries is quite important. Making sure that they are not located within 1000 feet of parks, schools or churches and are on main boulevards will also ease enforcement concerns.

The bottom line: Marijuana has proved to be an effective pain suppressant and has verifiable medical properties. It is widely used in our state and is no longer seen as a 'gateway' drug. We should not make people leave our city to get a medicine they need. Let's add the dispensaries but make sure we are vigilantly enforcing the rules that we will set regarding the hours, locations, storefronts and sales of marijuana in Santa Monica."
Oct. 1, 2014 Phil Brock

"Just like other people with medical needs, medical marijuana users in Santa Monica deserve safe, local and accessible access to their medicine.

Part of our overall urban planning approach should be to meet local needs locally, with locally-serving, community-based small business. That approach strengthens neighborhoods, promotes walkability and reduces the need to drive - all increasing our quality of life. We can provide safe local access medical marijuana, while ensuring concerns raised about its sale by our public safety personnel are addressed - just like we do with other legal businesses that operate safely in Santa Monica."
Oct. 1, 2014 Michael Feinstein

"As a cancer survivor who was diagnosed in 2004 and had a stem cell transplant in 2006, I embrace the necessity of medical marijuana dispensaries. I was a lucky cancer patient, if there is such a thing. I was in the hospital for three weeks on a floor with other 'stem cell transplant' patients and was fortunate to experience little nausea or acute pain.

Every day as I walked the halls, watching and listening and talking to other patients and their families, I wished my fellow patients had a compassionate alternative that would allow them marijuana to ease their pain. This is just one medicinal use of marijuana. There are many more.

This is why I believe in marijuana dispensaries and why we, a supportive community, should allow them in Santa Monica. Regulation of location and operation has been implemented in many other cities and we can do the same."
Oct. 1, 2014 Sue Himmelrich

"No need, there are plenty of dispensaries in the surrounding communities, including West LA, Venice, and the Los Angeles area. Many are within walking distance of Santa Monica. I believe, along with my longtime friend Tommy Chong, that marijuana should be on the same legal schedule as homemade wine. We should be allowed to grow marijuana in our own backyards, taking the corporations and the government out of the equation."
Oct. 1, 2014 Terence Later

"Medical marijuana is legal in California, and just because the City of Los Angeles handled dispensary issues so poorly doesn't mean we can’t do better.

Forcing Santa Monica patients to travel out of their hometown for prescribed marijuana is neither compassionate nor necessary — nor do we want to rely on sketchy and potentially unsafe 'delivery services.'

The new zoning code for Santa Monica, now being developed, should specify locations and conditions that can make a limited number of dispensaries no more of a problem than existing, legal liquor stores. We will listen carefully to all the concerns, and write appropriate controls into our local law."
Oct. 1, 2014 Kevin McKeown

"The medical and health needs and concerns of ordinary residents dictate highly regulated and a limited number of clinics in a few limited locations adjacent to the hospitals that supply appropriate predictable dosages of medical marijuana. It's a limited step that satisfies the need of a range of clinical chronic conditions."
Oct. 1, 2014 Richard McKinnon

"It is going to be legal within a year in California. For more details go to my website www.zoe4citycouncil.org."
Oct. 1, 2014 Zoë Muntaner