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Those dispensaries that go through the per- mitting process or otherwise comply with local ordinances tend, by their very nature, to be those most interested in meeting commu- nity standards and being good neighbors. Cities enacting ordinances for the operation of dispensaries may even require security measures, but it is a matter of good business practice for dispensary operators since it is in their own best interest. Many local officials surveyed by ASA said dispensaries operating in their communities have presented no prob- lems, or what problems there may have been significantly diminished once an ordinance or other regulation was inrtituted. Mike Rotkin, fifth-term councilmember and former four-term mayor in the City of Santa Cruz, says about his city's dispensary, "It pro- vides alegal (under State law) service for peo- ple in medical need. Because it is well run and well regulated and located in an area accept- able to the City, it gets cooperation from the local police. Because they are under strict city regulation, there is less likelihood of theft or violence and less opposition from angry neighbors. It is no longer a controversial issue in our city." Regarding the decrease in complaints about existing dispensaries, several officials said that ordinances significantly improved relations with other businesses and the community at large. An Oakland city council staff member noted that they, "had gotten reports of break ins. That kind of activity has stopped .That danger has been eliminated." WHY DIVERSION OF MEDICAL CANNABIS IS TYPICALLY NOT A PROBLEM One of the concerns of public officials is that dispensaries make possible or even encourage the resale of cannabis on the street. But the experience of those cities which have inrtitut- ed ordinances is that such problems, which are rare in the first place, quickly disappear. In addition to the ease for law enforcement of monitoring openly operating facilities, dispen- saries universally have strict rules about how members are to behave in and around the dispensary. Many have "good neighbor" trainings for their members that emphasize sensitivity to the concerns of neighbors, and all absolutely prohibit the resale of cannabis to anyone. Anyone violating that prohibition is typically banned from any further contact with the dispensary. "The areas around the dispensaries may be some of the most safest areas of Oakland now because of the level of security ,surveillance, etc. since the ordinance passed." -Barbara Killey, Oakland As Oakland's city administrator for the regula- tory ordinance explains, "dispensaries them- selves have been very good at self policing againrt resale because they understand they can lose their permit if their patients resell." In the event of street or other resale, local law enforcement has at its disposal all the many legal penalties the state provides. This all adds up to a safer street environment with fewer drug-related problems than before dispensary operations were permitted in the area. The experience of the City of Oakland is a good example of this phenomenon. The city's leg- islative analyst, Lupe Schoenberger, stated that. "...[P]eople feel safer when they're walking down the street. The level of marijua- na street sales has significantly reduced." Dispensaries operating with the permission of the city are also more likely to appropriately utilize law enforcement resources themselves, reporting any crimes directly to the appropri- ate agencies. And, again, dispensary operators and their patient members tend to be more safety conscious than the general public, resulting in great vigilance and better pre- emptive measures. The reduction in crime in areas with dispensaries has been reported anecdotally by law enforcement in several communities. For more informatan, see wvwvAmerkansFaSafeACCess.org or contact the ASA offKe at 1-988-929-4367 a 510-251-ifl56