By: Sharon Aron Baron

Mayor Harry Dressler said that after doing research, he found that medical marijuana dispensing facilities are a “gigantic scam” and should not be allowed in the city.

He added that medical marijuana dispensing facilities are a fraud. He explained that because medical marijuana does not have the active ingredient THC in it – or Tetrahydrocannabinol, anyone that needs it can essentially buy it over the internet.

Dressler said medical marijuana was passed in Florida, however, they changed it so that all marijuana, can now be dispensed – including the recreational kind.

“If we allowed this in our city, we’d have people going in ‘oh I want some of the Bolivian Blue’ or whatever the names are for different kinds of pot with different sensations and different levels of strength and different levels of hallucinatory issues to it,” he said.

It’s been a gigantic scam, he said.

After saying he did his own research, residents who want medical marijuana can go online and buy it. “There’s 20 different companies, and you don’t have to spend up to $750 to the state for a card to go buy medical marijuana.”

Medical marijuana expert Robert Platshorn couldn’t believe what the mayor was saying.

“If any part of that was true that would amazing.”

Platshorn educates seniors on the benefits in the medical cannabis field for the Silver Tour which also lobbies government representatives about the medical benefits, safe consumption and history of cannabis.

“This guy lies worse than Trump,” said Platshorn. “The whole purpose of Amendment 2 was to sell marijuana projects. Also, the state doesn’t even sell marijuana.”

He said that medical marijuana has THC, and most dispensaries are very good and carry a spectrum of products with varying strengths. You can not buy them anywhere except for a dispensary.

“If he spent an hour in a dispensary, he’d seriously change his tune. Eighty percent of people in dispensaries are seniors. You take someone who has Crohn’s Disease, they have to walk around in a diaper. They take cannabis, and it stops the spasticity attacks. It can also prevent and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.” Platshorn added that it beats using opiates.

He speaks from experience. A former fisherman who spent years out in the sun, his skin is now paying the price. He uses medical marijuana for his skin cancer: both basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma,

“It only takes a drop of cannabis oil for 3-7 days on a band-aid and it just drops off, and after three days it starts to grow fresh skin.”

He said that if you want to get a card, it will not cost $750 like the mayor said. First, you would have to get a recommendation from a doctor, which should cost under $200. The doctor would recommend the strength of the cannabis needed. The next step is the doctor would put you in a state registry where you would send in a photo to the state and $75. You get a letter back saying you were accepted, and you can go to a licensed dispensary which has access to your recommendation.

Dressler believed all medical marijuana had no THC and likened medical marijuana dispensaries to weed shops.

According to the Washington Post, the type of online marijuana that is sold without THC is CBD. CBD is not mind-altering as marijuana with THC. Researchers have found that THC may help treat pain, nausea, loss of appetite and other problems. In the past 10 years, scientists have concluded that CBD may also be quite useful.

“Don’t think for a second that these dispensaries will dispense medical marijuana,” said Dressler. “They’re going to be weed shops.”

The ordinance, which unanimously passed, makes a permanent ban for medical marijuana dispensing facilities within the City of Tamarac.

Dressler said what they’re really banning is the sale of recreational pot in the city, and it didn’t have anything to do with medical marijuana. He made it clear that there was a distinction between the two items.

“This is not about medical marijuana, you can buy it online,” said Dressler. “This is about people coming into our community to sell pot so that the state can make money and people can get high. I’m not opposed to that either, but let’s be honest.”