Tucson man wants to bring a marijuana dispensary to Parker | News

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At a working session on September 28, Parker City Council heard a presentation from someone planning to set up a medical marijuana dispensary in Parker. David Basila told the council he recently received the La Paz County medical marijuana license from the Arizona Department of Health Services. He wanted to introduce himself to the council and tell them why he wanted to set up a pharmacy in Parker.

Some council members noted that Basila could have issues with federal law and the Colorado River Indian tribes if he wanted to set up a pharmacy in the town of Parker.

Arizona voters approved marijuana for medical use in 2010. Basila said he ran his own high-tech business for several years before entering the cannabis business in 2014. He said he currently has three licenses in Arizona, including one in the city of Tuscon. He is also licensed to operate in Blythe, California.

Basila said he uses high-tech growing practices and his products are sold in pharmacies across Arizona. He said his Tucson pharmacy has a reputation for being one of the best in town. He said he has received awards from the Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Chamber of Commerce.

Basila described its safety record as “flawless”. He said he also had strong security in his facilities and that there were few problems.

His company is involved in the Tucson community, Basila said. They make a lot of donations and contribute to the local sales tax. He said his company is people-centric because people are its greatest resource.

While he already has a location in Quartzsite, Basila said he really wants to set up a pharmacy in Parker.

“This would be a win-win for Parker,” he said. “Users currently have to go to Lake Havasu City or Blythe. You could keep the sales tax income here. “

Councilor Frank Savino noted that the city is starving for sales tax revenue.

Mayor Karen Bonds sought recommendations from the Blythe Police Department and the Blythe Chamber of Commerce.

Basila was asked where his Blythe pharmacy is. He replied that it was next to an Alberston grocery store. While local officials were skeptical at first, he said this worked well as it was much easier to have security and law enforcement officials would keep an eye on the facility than it would in a more remote location.

Councilor Randy Hartless and Savino both raised the issue of the Colorado River Indian tribes. Hartless noted that the city of Parker is within the limits of the CRIT reservation and the tribes have stated that they must obey federal laws. According to federal law, marijuana is still a controlled substance and illegal.

Basila said he and his people have worked with tribal governments in the past.

Savino said, “If you can overcome the tribal hurdle, I’m for it.”

Bonds thanked Basila for his presentation and noted that this was all new to the council. She asked Basila to provide further information electronically.

The Parker area for a time had a pharmacy in the upstream area, Parker Green. However, it is now closed.

In November 2020, Arizona voters agreed to allow limited adult possession of marijuana for recreational use. From January through August, the state received $ 115.7 million in tax revenue from the sale of marijuana. This included $ 20.4 million in August alone. According to the Arizona Treasury Department, $ 6.4 million came from the medical side, $ 4.5 million from adult recreational sales, and $ 9.5 million from the state’s excise tax.

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