by: John Prager
Berkeley, California will require medical marijuana dispensaries to give away two percent of the amount of weed they sell each year for free to low-income patients.
On Tuesday, the city council voted unanimously to alter the city’s medical cannabis rules. Not only will the new rules allow an additional dispensary in the city, but they will allow the homeless and other low-or-no income people access to their medicine.
“Basically, the city council wants to make sure that low-income, homeless, indigent folks have access to their medical marijuana, their medicine,” said Berkeley City Councilmember Darryl Moore.
The rules also require that the two-percent of medical marijuana given away must be the same quality that is given to regular, paying customers.
“We think this is the responsible thing to do for those less fortunate in our community,” said Moore.
One dispensary, Berkeley Patients Group, is miles ahead of the legislation–it has been giving free weed to the poor for the past fifteen years.
“We’ve found out over the years that one of the cruel realities is that when you do get sick and you have a serious illness is that it’s often hard to keep a job, can be hard to keep your income up, so those people really need the help the most,” said Sean Luse of Berkeley Patients Group.
The proposal is set for final approval next week.
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