I think we can agree that Alcohol Prohibition created a situation in which bathtub-alcohol poisoned tons of people-- with zero accountability. It jacked up market prices due to its illegality (high risk = high profit). High profits, in turn, created the Italian Mob, who operated in violation of the laws, smuggling alcohol to anyone who wanted it. These mobs would protect themselves at all costs, and were known for their violence. It was a bad situation. I think we can also agree that marijuana prohibition would a situation in which low quality or dangerous pot will reach tons of people-- with zero accountability. It will jack up prices due to its illegality. High profits due to national illegality have, in fact, created the Mexican Mafia, who operate in violation of laws smuggling pot to anyone who wants it. These mobs will protect themselves at all costs, and are known for their violence. PLEASE DO NOT WELCOME THEM TO OUR CITY. Do not ban pot. Allow operations to be held above-board and to be public and held accountable for any bad products. Please do not put the city in a situation where they get between what a patient is recommended by their doctor and what they can legally obtain. There is a 100% chance that if this law is enforced, it will result in a lawsuit involving ADA laws (yes, ironically-- federal laws) If this law is not enforced-- then why pass it to begin with? This is a bad law. There is no "Reefer Madness". We do not have a marijuana problem that is causing people to go out and rob or shoot each other in the streets-- but we will if we make it illegal and wildly increase the profitability of entering black markets and we could very well wind up with some of those situations. Please do not vote to ban marijuana. Let the pot smokers smoke. Or eat their brownies. Or whatever they do. That's the economic argument. The argument against the city's proclamations are the following: 1) If the smell is a nuisance, then aren't cigarettes? Isn't Aunt Ethel's perfume usage? *IF* we are going to ban scents, we should not do it by individual smells, but by density. We should put a measurement on it. That is the only logical way to do it. 2) Fire hazards: The only reason there are fire hazards is because it is still on the black market. People don't hire Mike Diamond to come fix marijuana-related plumbing problems when they are operating in black markets. Likewise, they do not hire licensed and respected electricians, either. If we push this even further into the darkness, there is a one-hundred-percent-chance that fire risk will INCREASE, not decrease. 3) There is absolutely zero evidence of legalized marijuana causing a crime increase. There was an LATimes article proclaiming that, but then they retracted it, because the evidence actually showed a decrease in crime, when it was compiled by an unbiased source (a statistically insignificant decrease, but a decrease nonetheless) 4) I hope you took time to read the hilarious "WHEREAS"s here: https://newportbeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4124403&GUID=5BE2D071-D181-428D-96A1-EA20576323C9 They are all presumptive, unsubstantiated "what ifs" for something that has surely been happening in Newport long before marijuana was California-Legal in 1997. These "WHEREAS"s are highly mockable, and entirely based in the "Reefer Madness" mindset of inevitable mass destruction thanks to pot use. Rest assured, they will be mocked! I don't smoke pot... but anyone who votes to ban it should probably be drug tested. :)