Oakland Marijuana Law Passes: 'Pot Factories' Coming to East Bay

By Peter Jamison/sfweekly.com

The Oakland City Council last night approved an ordinance allowing industrial-scale marijuana growing operations to set up shop in town, supplying the city's medical pot dispensaries. The measure is expected, by some estimates, to generate up to $2 million in tax revenue for the cash-strapped city. Yet not everyone is celebrating.

Only once council member, Nancy Nadel, voted against the ordinance. Two abstained.

In a curious dynamic that has been playing out since Oakland first began mulling whether to allow "pot factories" within city limits, a number of small-time growers strongly opposed the measure, arguing it would drive down the price of weed -- don't get too excited, folks; permits for the large-scale operations won't be issued until January -- and dilute its quality. One study commissioned by AgraMed, a company that wants to develop one of the pot warehouses, also estimated that the law will create 350 union jobs. Let's get this straight -- health insurance, high wages, job security, pensions, and weed? You had us at "yea," Oakland.