On Wednesday, San Diego county's first legal marijuana shop, A Green Alternative, opened in Otay Mesa. While the 1,400 sq. foot shop has minimal signage to blend in with th rest of the strip mall it is in, it is now open for business.
“Patients finally have a place to go for completely safe access,” said shop owner David Blair, an HIV-positive San Diego State business ethics lecturer who smokes pot daily to relieve his symptoms. “We’re achieving a longtime goal.”
The opening of A Green Alternative marks the first legal, county licensed medical marijuana shop in San Diego since medical marijuana was legalized in California in 1996. Other medical marijuana collectives have been operating illegally in the county, and officials are working to shut them down in order to legitimize the industry with licensing and regulations. Authorities are working to close 100 illegal marijuana shops in San Diego.
Regulated city dispensaries must be nonprofits, allow their products to be tested, meet rigorous security requirements and adhere to strict zoning rules that include being at least 1,000 feet from schools and 100 feet from residential areas.
Last week, San Diego officials gave two other medical marijuana businesses the green light to open, one in San Ysidro and one in Kearny Mesa. They are expected to open later this spring.
On Wednesday, San Diego county's first legal marijuana shop, A Green Alternative, opened in Otay Mesa. While the 1,400 sq. foot shop has minimal signage to blend in with th rest of the strip mall it is in, it is now open for business.
“Patients finally have a place to go for completely safe access,” said shop owner David Blair, an HIV-positive San Diego State business ethics lecturer who smokes pot daily to relieve his symptoms. “We’re achieving a longtime goal.”
The opening of A Green Alternative marks the first legal, county licensed medical marijuana shop in San Diego since medical marijuana was legalized in California in 1996. Other medical marijuana collectives have been operating illegally in the county, and officials are working to shut them down in order to legitimize the industry with licensing and regulations. Authorities are working to close 100 illegal marijuana shops in San Diego.
Regulated city dispensaries must be nonprofits, allow their products to be tested, meet rigorous security requirements and adhere to strict zoning rules that include being at least 1,000 feet from schools and 100 feet from residential areas.
Last week, San Diego officials gave two other medical marijuana businesses the green light to open, one in San Ysidro and one in Kearny Mesa. They are expected to open later this spring.
