To the Editor:
Dear Fellow Residents of Fillmore:
I hope all of you are ready to vote NO on Measure T, which seeks to legalize indoor Marijuana cultivation businesses in Fillmore.
I have been collecting information during the last several years on Marijuana and cannot, for the life of me, understand why some believe any kind of Marijuana cultivation would be a good business idea for our small city. Why would we want to produce any product that can harm children in our city?
The Ventura STAR ( 9/5/2018) reported that “THC may remain in breast milk for up to 6 days” and that for infants who are affected, “there is the possibility of harm to the brain and skills like concentration, attention, and impulse control.” This harm could be lifelong. I have recently read in Reader’s Digest (July-August 2018) that Marijuana use by teens is increasing, and that many teens no longer see Marijuana smoking as a health threat. Yet, Dr. Shannon Levy MD, of Boston Children’s Hospital states, in What Pot Does to a Teen’s Brain that “…one out of every 6 teens who smoke Marijuana will become addicted.”
I strongly believe that although MEASURE T on the November Ballot is for businesses which cultivate “Medical Marijuana” that the situation could quickly change to the cultivation of “Recreational Marijuana” when these cash only businesses, which self report their income, begin to claim, as they did recently in Ojai, that they could not make a profit. I have read the City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis of Measure T and I am deeply concerned at the words “The City Council is expressly authorized to amend or appeal the ordinance without restriction.”
MEASURE T will hurt someone’s child, if not our own. Read about Measure T. Talk to your friends and neighbors. This may be the most important vote in Fillmore history, as it may change the character of the town, forever. Fillmore has always put the welfare of children, first.
Think about kids and their future. THEN VOTE NO on MEASURE T on November 6.
- Marion Schuck