{"id":8711598,"date":"2023-01-10T14:52:42","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T22:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8711598&preview=true&preview_id=8711598"},"modified":"2023-01-11T06:31:57","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T14:31:57","slug":"contra-costa-to-allow-for-sale-of-non-flavored-cannabis-vape-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2023\/01\/10\/contra-costa-to-allow-for-sale-of-non-flavored-cannabis-vape-products\/","title":{"rendered":"Contra Costa County to allow for sale of non-flavored cannabis vape products"},"content":{"rendered":"

MARTINEZ \u2014 The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance on Tuesday allowing for the sale and delivery of non-flavored cannabis vaping products, a partial repeal of legislation adopted three years ago that also banned sale of flavored tobacco products.<\/p>\n

The new law is intended to ensure that seniors and other adults \u2014 in particular those who rely on cannabis for medicinal reasons \u2014 have access marijuana vaping products.\u00a0Proposed by Supervisor Diane Burgis, the ordinance allows permitted cannabis retailers located in unincorporated areas to sell and deliver the products.<\/p>\n

The ordinance passed 3-2 with supervisors Federal Glover and Candace Anderson voting no.<\/p>\n

During the first reading of the ordinance on Dec. 6, Burgis said the motivation behind the revised ordinance was that the 2019 law\u00a0hurt seniors and other adults who rely on\u00a0cannabis vaping products for both recreational and medical reasons. In particular, it affected homebound seniors in unincorporated areas, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re trying to do by having policies here in Contra Costa County is to give people a way to access safe products,\u201d Burgis said.<\/p>\n

At the December meeting, both Glover and Anderson voted against the ordinance, saying it would send mixed messages to the public and betray an effort led by Contra Costa youth who wanted the ban in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe clearly took a leadership position back in 2019 when we had a number of our students throughout this county that came before us and asked for the leadership to put this ban in place,\u201d Glover said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not going to turn away from that. I think it\u2019s important that that we listen to our youth when they cry out and ask for this help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glover said there is no evidence \u201cthat vaping does not cause problems to individuals\u201d and partially lifting the ban would send \u201cfalse messages or confusing messages to our public that it\u2019s OK to do this this while at the same time saying that we want to prevent it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, groups advocating for cannabis access told the Board of Supervisors that banning pot vape products has created an illicit black market for the product and disproportionately affected vulnerable populations who rely on cannabis primarily for medical reasons.<\/p>\n

Renee Lee, a resident of the retirement community of Rossmoor who runs an organization with a mission to help seniors legally access and safety use cannabis, said the majority of medicinal cannabis users in the unincorporated community near Walnut Creek prefer vaping.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so happy,\u201d Lee said after Tuesday\u2019s vote. \u201cIt\u2019s like a big weight off my shoulders \u2026 (the ordinance) had been very unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah Armstrong of American for Safe Access, the country\u2019s largest and oldest advocacy organization for medical cannabis patients, said forcing people to travel medicinal marijuana \u201coften stimulates a black market because they simply cannot go to the nearest dispensary if they don\u2019t have one near them.\u201d<\/p>\n