Commerce Citizens Against Marijuana Corruption

Bakersfield experiences violent 24 hours with four separate shootings ABC News Bakersfield Sept. 4 2020 - Thursday night officers responded to reports of a shooting from a Shotspotter Activation in the 700 block of Kentucky Street near Baker Street. Responding officers found 40 bullet casings in the parking lot of an illegal marijuana dispensary. Three men associated with the marijuana dispensary sustained minor gunshot wounds. One of the men who was wounded was identified as... the homicide suspect from a murder that occurred on August 29th on Baker Street. Thirty-eight-year-old Todd Cobb was placed under arrest for murder based upon the prior investigation. A search warrant of the Premier Marijuana Shop, where the shooting happened revealed two illegally possessed firearms. No2Pot Smart Approaches to Marijuana https://www.turnto23.com//bakersfield-experiences-violent-

From Moms Strong - Our son Kevin was 15 when he started abusing marijuana. He was very good at hiding his use until he came to us and said he was depressed and needed help. From age 15 to 29, Kevin’s drug of choice was marijuana. During that time period he had many psychotic breaks, - - - at least three suicide attempts. Over the years he used marijuana with higher and higher amounts of THC. About two years before he took his life he said, Cannabis has ruined my life. We ...love and miss Kevin very much, everyday. One way we are trying to honor Kevin’s life is by telling his story and educating other parents and young people about the great harm that most of today’s marijuana with high THC, does to the developing brain. Parents Opposed to Pot Smart Approaches to Marijuana https://momsstrong.org/2019/07/24/kevins-story/

Wall Street Journal Sept. 30, 2019 - Vaping related illnesses are on the rise, and it appears to be related to a black market of marijuana THC vapes. WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez sat down with doctors and experts to understand what’s happening with the outbreak. Parents Opposed to Pot Moms Strong Smart Approaches to Marijuana https://youtu.be/XSdIYmrr4yo

As an increasing number of states change their marijuana legislation, the FBI is seeing a public corruption threat emerge in the expanding cannabis industry. States require licenses to grow and sell the drugopening the possibility for public officials to become susceptible to bribes in exchange for those licenses. Supervisory Special Agent Regino Chavez...... Regino Chavez: We’ve seen in some states the price go as high as $500,000 for a license to sell marijuana. So, we see people willing to pay large amounts of money to get in to the industry. Halpern: If you suspect a dispensary is operating with an illegally obtained license, or suspect public corruption in the marijuana industry, contact your local FBI field office. With FBI, This Week, I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau. https://www.fbi.gov//ftw-podcast-marijuana-industry-c/view Parents Opposed to Pot No2Pot Smart Approaches to Marijuana Safe Glendale

Marijuana Business Daily May 27, 2020 - When federal attorneys in California announced bribery charges last week against two Calexico city officials who allegedly accepted $35,000 in cash bribes in exchange for help obtaining marijuana business licenses, many in the cannabis industry shrugged it off as par for the course. It’s not necessarily the norm, but it’s not far from it, said Avis Bulbulyan, the CEO of Los Angeles-based consultancy Siva Enterprises. Bulbulyan said th...at the growth of the marijuana industry has brought with it a natural tendency for local officials looking to line their own pockets, which he emphasized happens in every emerging industry. Sacramento, California-based consultant Jackie McGowan noted that such situations have become absolutely prevalent in various areas of the state, particularly in the southern region, where more cities and counties are awarding business permits. https://mjbizdaily.com/california-cannabis-industry-bribery/ Parents Opposed to Pot No2Pot Smart Approaches to Marijuana Safe Glendale Moms Strong

The City of Costa Mesa projected to collect $1.143 million in marijuana tax revenue when it allowed 20 marijuana businesses to operate in its city. However, giving in to the pleas made by the marijuana businesses who told the city council that they could not stay in business with the 6% marijuana tax rate, the City Council of Costa Mesa lowered it to 1% in March this year. Now, Costa Mesa’s forecasted marijuana tax revenue will be measly $107,864, NOT $1.143 million. The cit...y’s original forecast for its annual tax revenue from the cannabis-related businesses will be reduced to $107,864. At 1 percent, in order to get to the budget revenue, the cannabis industry will have to generate $100 million in sales. https://www.ocregister.com/tax-on-costa-mesa-cannabis-busin https://voiceofoc.org//costa-mesa-approves-ordinance-lowe/ https://www.latimes.com//costa-mesa-city-council-will-cons