BREAKING: Recreational Marijuana Sales To Begin Tomorrow In Long Beach
Four marijuana dispensaries have passed final inspections for recreational marijuana sales business licenses, according to Ajay Kolluri, assistant to the city manager, who is in charge of marijuana related issues. Business licenses will be ready tomorrow for Long Beach Green Room, located at 1735 E. 7th St., The Station, located at 1957 Pacific Ave., Connected Cannabis Co., in Belmont Shore at 5227 E. 2nd St., and One Love Beach Club, located at 2767 E. Broadway, Kolluri said. Once the business owners are in possession of their licenses, recreational sales may begin.
(This story was updated to include that Connected and One Love dispensaries also passed their final inspections.)
Senate Passes Bill to Extend Alcohol Sales to 4 a.m.
The California State Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 905 today to extend alcohol sales until 4 a.m. in Long Beach, Los Angeles and seven other cities. There were 27 passing votes with nine votes against. One of the amendments that the Senate approved included a statement about the promotion of responsible consumption of alcohol in order to benefit the economy by generating direct tax revenues, growing public funds and increasing tourism. California’s entertainment industry, venues and restaurants generate over $50 billion every year and the Legislature believes SB 905 will favor the state’s economy, according to the amended bill. Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell voted against the bill in yesterday’s assembly meeting, and Senator Ricardo Lara, as one of the authors, likely voted for the bill, according to his office. The bill will reach Gov. Jerry Brown to be signed into law and take effect in 2021 in the nine cities of Long Beach, San Francisco, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Coachella, Cathedral City, Sacramento and Oakland.
7th District Budget Community Meeting Tonight
City of Long Beach staff are hosting the 7th District community meeting on the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget tonight, August 30, 6 p.m., at Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St. Click here for information on the budget. The city council is expected to vote on the budget in September.
State Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Employers In Workers’ Compensation Case
Last week, the California Supreme Court upheld an appeals court decision in favor of employers in the case of King v. CompPartners, Inc. The case was based on Kirk King’s allegation that following a workers’ compensation utilization review, his prescribed medication was deemed not medically necessary. King claimed that the abrupt stoppage of medication caused seizures and additional injury. The supreme court ruled that the Workers’ Compensation Act exclusivity clause preempts tort claims against entities other than the employer, such as an insurer or utilization reviewer.
CSULB Awards Second-Most Bachelor’s Degrees To Minority Students Among U.S. Colleges
The magazine “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education” ranked California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) second among U.S. universities in the number of bachelor’s degrees granted to minority students. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the university awarded 6,100 degrees to African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic and Native American students, an 11% increase from the previous year. CSULB also ranked third in the number of Hispanic students who earned degrees. “As we welcome the largest class of students to ever attend Long Beach State, I want to commend our faculty and staff for helping students of all backgrounds access a quality education,” CSULB President Jane Close-Conoley stated.