Pubdate: Fri, 15 Jul 2016 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Copyright: 2016 Los Angeles Times Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 Author: Janis Purins Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n473/a02.html TIME TO HELP THE HOMELESS. NOW Re "L.A. County putting pot tax on ballot," July 13 Before any taxes are collected from pot dispensaries, banking services must be made available to marijuana businesses. L.A. County Treasurer-Tax Collector Joseph Kelly's suggestion to hire armored trucks to collect millions of dollars in cash is rife with opportunity for unaccountability, corruption and extortion. Also, a portion of marijuana sales tax revenue should be used to fund additional personnel at the Department of Public Health to test product samples for potency and pesticides or other chemicals; for the county's Weights and Measures Bureau to check scales for accuracy; and for dispensary personnel to be trained and certified, equivalent to a bartender license. Janis Purins Los Angeles - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom