Pubdate: Tue, 05 Feb 2008 Source: Sentinel Review (CN ON) Copyright: 2008 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Contact: http://woodstocksentinelreview.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2385 Author: Clifford A. Schaffer Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n127/a03.html WAR ON GRASS IN U.S. 'OFFICIALLY COLLAPSED' Re: Marijuana vending machines - unbelievable (Jan. 31 editorial, Sentinel-Review) I live in the Los Angeles area and I have taken the time to actually survey the operations of the marijuana clubs, so let me offer a little perspective on the issue. California legalized medical marijuana in 1996 by popular vote. Under the law, marijuana is legal for treatment of any illness for which it provides relief. Furthermore, the decision of whether it is useful is solely up to the doctor, in consultation with the patient. In actual practice, marijuana is legally available to any adult wants it. All they have to do is pay the $100 "tax" to the doctor. Except for the fact the "tax" goes to the medical profession, rather than the government, this is just the way it should be. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law for any purpose, even though the federal government itself distributes medical marijuana to a number of patients. The reason they do this is because some of those patients went to court and proved to a legal certainty that marijuana is the only medicine suitable for their needs. The law did not provide a legal means of supplying marijuana. It only provided that "caregivers" - a new, undefined term - could grow and provide marijuana to patients. Because the law was unclear, and because of some sympathetic local governments, marijuana sellers rushed to take advantage of the new public market. They quickly discovered the market for marijuana in California is huge - probably rivalling beer. In response, hundreds of marijuana stores sprang up around the state, with the biggest concentration in Los Angeles. So many, in fact, the U.S. federal government has now openly admitted it could never shut them down. Some of the stores have had tens of millions in sales from a single location. Marijuana is de facto legal in California. The biggest news is the system in California - crazy as it may be - actually works. There are problems here and there but, overall, the owners of these businesses are keenly aware of their own self-interest just like any other business owners and run their businesses accordingly. There really isn't much "abuse" of the system - - assuming anyone could accurately define "abuse". If you want to buy marijuana from one of the clubs in California - or one of their vending machines, you will have to follow the rules (obtain a doctor's note). The vending machines are the latest sign marijuana has achieved full legalization in California. They are really no different than vending machines that sell aspirin - which, by the way, kills more people every year than marijuana does. The people who spent their money to set them up are aware of the issues of security and all the rest. They have taken adequate steps to make sure their investment is not lost to the first person who comes along with a crowbar. If they haven't, they will be out of business before too long and the machines will be a non-issue again. The bigger news for Canada is the war on marijuana in the U.S. has officially collapsed. Even the top drug warriors now openly admit it. It will only be a matter of time before the events in California spread to other states and ultimately to Canada. If you don't like the idea of vending machines, the only solution is to implement sensible regulations for production and distribution of marijuana similar to those for alcohol. Failure to do so will simply result in chaos. However, if you fail to implement sensible regulations - and you probably will - rest assured even this crazy system in California is 1,000 times better than prohibition. That is true, even with the vending machines. Clifford A. Schaffer Editor, Marijuana Business News Agua Dulce, Calif. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom