Pubdate: Sun, 10 Aug 2008
Source: San Bernardino Sun (CA)
Copyright: 2008 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.sbsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1417
Author: Scott Bledsoe

TIME TO GIVE UP FIGHT

The 4th District Court of Appeals' rejection of San Bernardino
County's frivolous challenge to California's long-standing medical
marijuana law was not a surprise.

While the county's attorney and Board of Supervisors mull over whether
to appeal the case to the California Supreme Court, there are some
things they should take into account: Budget shortfalls to the tune of
$17 million have brought about talk of serious cuts in county
services. Crime and gang warfare are so commonplace just a few blocks
from the steps of the county administration building that they are
simply overlooked. Home values have slid 20 to 40 percent in much of
the county due to the onslaught of foreclosures, which are certain to
create a much larger deficit when the tax bills go unpaid.

If county supervisors choose to appeal this ruling to the Supreme
Court, which has refused to hear a similar case already, they will be
allowing a misguided ideology of obstruction to overwhelm their duties
to serve our county. Medical marijuana is state law, like it or not.

Let's get with the program, implement the state medical marijuana ID
program and save us the undoubtedly enormous legal bill of continuing
in this futile fight against medical marijuana.

Scott Bledsoe

Crestline
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