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Column: City needs to oppose new cannabis stores 

Ron Cuff riverbed fire problem

Ron Cuff

– By Ron Cuff of Paso Robles

Seneca famously said “…nothing happens to the wise person contrary to their expectations”.

And so most Paso Roblans know that the city council is pursuing an ill-advised plan to permit Paso pot shops. (retail cannabis stores). The city and some local business leaders have joined forces to chase tax revenue at the expense of our unique, small-town Americana atmosphere. It appears the city has been sold a bill of goods by cannabis entrepreneurs like Helios Dayspring, who is now serving prison time for bribing San Luis Obispo County politicians.

Piling retail weed on top of wine, beer and spirits has the potential to make our once charming small town nothing more than an intoxication destination. The giant addiction-for-profit industries, whether they sell nicotine, alcohol or THC, are extremely powerful. They usually get what they want, but is this what we want?

Unfortunately, our elected leaders have chosen to ignore the latest reports from California and Colorado emergency room physicians, and advice from Dr. Robert Dupont, the first Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. These physicians uniformly advise against normalizing and promoting drugs in front of minors, i.e. cannabis storefronts.

Proposition 64, which legalized the use of cannabis by adults, states that cities and counties can opt out of selling the drug, and that all cannabis products sold will be labeled with clear, unambiguous warnings about potency and dangers. Now, the state is backtracking on these promises to the voters, and our elected officials are condoning, even encouraging, that the state do so.

Because legalizing cannabis has reduced our youth’s perception that THC is a harmful chemical, use rates have quadrupled, according to the National Institutes of Health, and it’s no wonder. High-potency cannabis products sold in permitted dispensaries, some containing over 90% THC, are marketed today as “medicine” or made to look like cereals, gummies, cookies, ice cream, and candies with logos and names that mimic popular national brands enjoyed by kids.

Unregulated, untested and unapproved CBD products are being sold as a panacea for every ailment imaginable. CBD is already sold legally in town, which can be easily converted into the potent intoxicant known as Delta 8. Cannabis-infused beverages made to look like wine and cider are being made here and elsewhere.

The great American addiction train is picking up steam. We can see it in the eyes of the hundreds of unemployed young people wandering aimlessly around town, and begging on freeway off-ramps. Ominously, we also see it in our military’s inability to meet recruiting goals, and our businesses inability to hire staff.

Don’t be fooled by town hall-style meetings packed with pot entrepreneurs, or the survey that the city paid a cannabis consultant to produce. Our wholesome, small-town atmosphere is about to disappear forever. There will be no turning back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

None of our city leaders mention the well-documented risks of cannabis use: Cannabis-Induced Psychosis and Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome, both of which can lead to disability, psychosis, schizophrenia, crime and homelessness. Substance Use Disorder starts with nicotine, alcohol or cannabis before age 18 in nine out of ten cases. Our school district has no plan to prevent cannabis or alcohol from being provided to our youth, too often starting them on the path to the Salinas riverbed.

Early onset cannabis use can lead to suicidal ideation and severe mental illness, not to mention re-wiring the fragile developing brain, opening the door for alcohol, meth, heroin or fentanyl use. Fentanyl, a synthetic drug produced in Mexico with ingredients from China is killing thousands of young people.

The unique small-town charm of Paso Robles is worth fighting for, and the health of the next generation is more important than a few extra dollars in the city coffers. The one chance we have to reverse course is to elect Michael Rivera for mayor, who is the only candidate steadfast in his opposition to retail cannabis stores.

We must demand that our city and public education leaders implement provisions to keep intoxicants away from the developing brains of Paso Robles youth, and ensure that all adults to whom they are entrusted are drug-free as well.

The stoic Seneca said, “Work nourishes noble minds”. Let’s all work to protect our youth from addiction… before it’s too late.

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