Medical marijuana
East County is now home to its first medical marijuana dispensary in the unincorporated area near Gillespie Field. Approved by the County, the dispensary has been opened for nearly two months now, and so far has kept a fairly low profile. Located in an industrial area, it is away from schools and neighborhoods, but both sides of the issue have been weighing in on its presence in East County.
Medical marijuana
East County is now home to its first medical marijuana dispensary in the unincorporated area near Gillespie Field. Approved by the County, the dispensary has been opened for nearly two months now, and so far has kept a fairly low profile. Located in an industrial area, it is away from schools and neighborhoods, but both sides of the issue have been weighing in on its presence in East County.
In my years of coverage on this subject, and the personal experiences I have witnessed with family and friends that utilize these facilities in battling cancer and other major illnesses, I am a strong defender of the right to medical marijuana use. I have seen first hand, people that would never think of consuming marijuana in any form, take the step when all other pharmaceuticals that cost hundreds of dollars did not work while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Where the prescribed medications did not work, the marijuana did. It contained the constant nausea, relieved pain and helped give them an appetite enough to eat. This is not only critical for state of mind, but also essential in keeping the body healthy enough to maintain the rigorous cruelty of chemotherapy and radiation that attacks everything in the body while going through treatment.
And yes, there is abuse of this system, but no more than any other. A farmer does not burn the orchard just because of a few bad apples.
Honored alumna
An alumna of Cuyamaca College, El Cajon Councilmember Star Bales received recognition at City Hall on Sept. 23. Cuyamaca College President Dr. Mark. J Zacovic said second to graduation day, his greatest pleasure is presenting the Distinguished Alumni for Outstanding Achievement and Service award and it was his pleasure that Bales was Cuyamaca’s nominated choice for 2014. In typical “Star” fashion, she humbly accepted what she described as a great honor, but said she felt that she should be giving Cuyamaca College an award for teaching her. She said until her time at the college, she never cared for school, but now embraces everything she learns and carries it with her every day. Bales loves the community she serves and is actively involved in it from politics, community service to arts. It is a good thing that someone with such heart is recognized for the many things that just come natural for her.
East County Performing Arts Center
The Citizens’ Oversight Project’s Save ECPAC from Rock Church campaign held another press conference on Sept. 23. Since the city has yet to respond, or add to its agenda, discussion of the 31-page document submitted on Sept. 4, COPs submitted another document with 10 conditions that it believes should be met in renting the facility to Rock Church “legally and prudently.” The “Ten Conditions” include that ECPAC be used primarily as a performing arts center and that any term of rental agreement between the two should be limited to terms of one year or less. It also states that the agreements be reviewed at the end of each term to be fair with other users that might want to use it for the same days that Rock Church is requesting.
Other terms in the conditions include that the church may not manage the facility, be flexible with its non-Sunday dates to accommodate other uses for the venue, rental rates be comparable to standard rates for nonprofit users, and the agreement be an “at will” agreement that allows termination without cause. Other conditions are to give the Grossmont Cuyamaca Community College District first priority, open the proposed building that Rock Church wants to build for additional uses for the theater and other community events and seminars, and establish an independent oversight board.
The City of El Cajon needs to respond to these requests, submitted in a timely and proper manner before it makes any final decisions regarding the ECPAC. If it does not, it is just subjecting itself to consuming legal issues and a probable delay in the opening of ECPAC to the public.
