We are Mountain View residents, businesses and neighbors who voted overwhelmingly not ONCE (64.6% in favor of Prop. 215 in 1996 to legalize medical cannabis), not TWICE (68% in favor of Prop. 64 in 2016 to legalize recreational cannabis), but THREE times (81% in favor of Measure Q in 2018 to tax legal cannabis) to legalize, raise revenue, and to support safe access to legal cannabis in our City.

Nearly two years after 68% of us voted to approve the legalization of recreational cannabis in Mountain View, the City Council voted 5-2 in October 2018, to conservatively allow for two legal cannabis retail stores and two dispensaries to serve our diverse city of over 81,000 residents, within specified areas and under strict regulations. Ten reputable businesses have since filed applications with the city vying for one of four available permits.

But now, the City Council is considering thwarting the will of Mountain View voters at their upcoming March 5th meeting by rolling back the permit rules and regulations they approved just a few months ago.

Not only will this likely result in litigation against the City (with Mountain View taxpayers paying the bill) from the ten businesses that have presumably expended thousands of dollars on the application process based on the good faith that the City and voters meant what they said when they approved the legalization of cannabis and the four permits, but it also sets a dangerous precedent that the City Council can simply rollback and revise rules, regulations and projects that they have already approved in the past. Such a precedent would not only harm the reputation of our City and make businesses think twice before considering joining or expanding in our community, but it would also generate distrust, confusion and unpredictable laws and policies that can apparently be changed every time a new city council member is elected.

Furthermore, over 81% of Mountain View voters loudly declared in November 2018, that they want to tax and realize the community benefits from the millions in tax revenues that would be generated by legal cannabis sales; tax revenues that are currently going to San Jose and Santa Cruz or to support the dangerous and illegal black market. That's millions in tax revenues that the City Council could be putting towards our schools, police, fire fighters and aging infrastructure.

Enough is enough. Please join us in demanding that our representatives do what they are supposed to do, REPRESENT us! The overwhelming majority of Mountain View residents that voted THREE times to approve safe access to legal cannabis and to generate much needed tax revenue for our community, should not be ignored at the expense of a very small but vocal minority of NIMBYs that oppose any and all change and progress.

Please join with your friends and neighbors in SIGNING this petition to let the Mountain View City Council know that they need to RESPECT our vote on this issue and should not set a dangerous precedent by changing already approved and settled rules and regulations.

For more information or to get involved, email MVRespectOurVote@gmail.com. Please also consider emailing the city council at citycouncil@mountainview.gov AND attending the City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 5th at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers (500 Castro Street in Mountain View); the Council will be voting on this important issue.