AGENCY TESTIMONY
Discussion of proposed legislation: Intro 557-A and Intro 981
0:16:22
·
125 sec
Sheriff Miranda addresses two pieces of proposed legislation related to reporting and data collection for unlicensed cannabis retailers.
- Intro 557-A: Would create a new 311 category for reporting unlicensed cannabis retailers
- Sheriff supports efforts to ensure all unlicensed shops are reported and inspected
- Current process with 311 is working and sheriff does not want to disrupt their process.
- Intro 981: Would mandate additional quarterly reporting on enforcement activities
- Sheriff's office cannot support Intro 981 due to potential administrative burden
Anthony Miranda
0:16:22
Now I'd like to discuss the legislation being heard today.
0:16:29
Intro 557 would require OTI to create a new 311 category for reports of unlicensed cannabis retailers.
0:16:37
I strongly believe in and support any effort to ensure that every single unlicensed cannabis dispensary and illegal smoke shop is reported and then inspected.
0:16:47
Our current process is working and 311 does take complaints and direct them to our office.
0:16:53
So far over a thousand complaints have come in to 311, and we're in constant coordination with them to receive this information.
0:17:00
In addition, as I mentioned earlier, we have an email inbox and a phone number for constituents.
0:17:07
To report illegal activity.
0:17:10
We have received thousands of reports that have led to hundreds of inspections of suspected cannabis sellers.
0:17:19
At this point, we do not want to disrupt our process in any way that will lead to more administratively burdensome tasks while the sheriff's office needs to be narrowly focused on completing as many inspections as possible each day.
0:17:33
Internal 981 would mandate additional reporting requirements on a quarterly basis relating to the total number of inspections, the agencies involved in the inspections and whether the store was licensed.
0:17:45
This bill would expand on existing reporting provisions By requiring that if a store is found to be unlicensed, the sheriff's office would be required to provide detailed information relating to the violations civil services and arrest.
0:17:59
At this point in the operation, The sheriff's office is working around the clock to inspect unlicensed stores in the city.
0:18:05
The team we have assembled is dedicated to transparency, whether this is responding to the letter sent by the council, accommodating members request for vital ones, or even staff members' inspections, because we view the council as a true partner in this in this operation with mandating another reporting requirement would be overly burdensome, and therefore, we cannot support intro 91 at this time.
