The Friday Flyer • November 25, 2016

CANYON LAKE’S NEWSPAPER • NOVEMBER 25, 2016
Santa Claus will light Lodge tree December 4 Pg. A3
Hortonscarryon“Little Don’tmissannualGolf
RedTrain”tradition
Pg. A7
Cart Parade and Toy Drive Pg. A9
Krista Smith and Debbie Gagnon from Pack Wrap and Post and Stephanie Stout from Bombshells show off their Small Business Saturday promotional items.
Support local businesses on Small Business Saturday
BY DONNA RITCHIE
EDITOR, THE FRIDAY FLYER
Small Business Saturday is an Amer- ican shopping holiday held on the Sat- urday after Thanksgiving during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. First observed in 2010, Small Business Saturday is a counterpart to Black Fri- day and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and e-commerce stores respectively.
Small Business Saturday is about supporting small, local business
and encouraging people across the country to “shop small.”
The Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce invites residents to support local businesses this Saturday. While some shops in the Towne Center will be offering specials” on Small Business Saturday, its more about those small businesses “being special” and what they bring to the community. Whether they are a family business, local shop, service business, wholesaler or small manufacturer, Small Business Saturday
is about them and supporting a small business owner’s dream.
Just 4 Gifts, Pack Wrap and Post, The Cup Above and Bombshells are just a few of the businesses who will of- fer specials on Saturday. Aprile DeAnn says Just 4 Gifts will be serving cookies and cider with holiday cheer and offer- ing 15 percent off store purchases. Deb- bie Gagnon says Pack Wrap and Post is offering two mailbox rental specials; purchase six months and get first month free and 10 percent off paid in full an-
nual rentals. The Cup Above is offering $5 off purchases of $20 or more. Bomb- shells is offering a buy one get one 50% off on all merchandise in the store spe- cial; discount will apply to the lower priced item.
Residents are encouraged to shop local, eat local, spend local and support the businesses in the community on Saturday, November 26. If the community as a whole shops small, it can make a big difference.
City’s new ordinance bans outdoor growth of marijuana
BY DONNA RITCHIE
EDITOR, THE FRIDAY FLYER
On November 8, California voters passed California Proposition 64, the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative. According to the Secretary of State website, 56.5 percent of the voters voted to pass Proposition 64 and 43.5 percent voted against it.
While medical marijuana was legal- ized in California in 1996 with the pas- sage of Proposition 215, the possession or use of it for recreational purposes was not legal until now.
Proposition 64 legalized marijuana for recreational use for persons aged 21 years old and older; however, indi- viduals under the age of 18 convicted of marijuana possession would be required to attend drug education or a counsel- ing program and complete community service.
Smoking marijuana is now permitted in a private home or at a
business licensed for on-site marijuana consumption; however, it remains illegal to smoke it anywhere smoking tobacco is prohibited, while driving a vehicle, on the grounds of a school day care center or youth center while children are present and in all public places. Possession on the grounds of a school day care or youth center while children are present is still illegal.
Proposition 64 also makes it legal to possess up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and 8 grams of concentrated marijuana, and for individuals to grow up to six plants within a private home as long as the area is locked and not visible from a public place.
Two new excise taxes on marijuana come with the passage of Proposition 64. One is a cultivation tax of $9.25 per ounce for flowers and $2.75 per ounce for leaves, with the exceptions for certain medical marijuana sales and cultivation. The second tax is a 15 percent tax on the retail price of marijuana. The taxes will
be used to cover costs of administrating and enforcing the measure and towards drug research, prevention, programs and treatment.
While the City can’t pass ordinances that supersede the state laws and ban citizens from the recreational use of marijuana or the indoor cultivation of it, there are certain things the City can regulate. For example, the City can ban outdoor personal cultivation and prohibit marijuana use in any City facility or property, which is what the City did on November 2 when they introduced and adopted Interim Ordinance No. 168. The Ordinance passed 5-0.
However, along with the passing of the Ordinance comes the loss of potential grant money for the City from the State Board of Corrections and Highway Patrol for law enforcement actions in response to issues caused by Proposition 64. Councilwoman Vicki Warren says, “The City’s primary goal is to protect the health and safety of the citizens of
Canyon Lake.”
Canyon Lakers are going to need
to pay attention over the next few months; with this new law comes more discussion and possible changes from the City on how the City digests the new marijuana law. Just recently, at two previous City Council meetings, members of the audience spoke on the merits of commercial sale and cultivation of marijuana, including claims that there would be a reduction of personal cultivation if commercial cultivation is allowed. Clearly, the issue is a complicated one and Canyon Lake citizens have a direct relation to how these decisions are made.
It is important to also note that while the use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes is now legal in California, it still remains illegal under federal law. How the courts will handle this distinction as each state passes such laws remains to be seen.