Pubdate: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 Source: Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ) Copyright: 2010 Arizona Daily Star Contact: http://www.azstarnet.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/23 Author: Barbara LaWall NO: STOREFRONTS FOR DOPE DEALERS A PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER This guest opinion was written by Barbara LaWall, Pima County attorney: What specific, documented evidence exists that crime actually increased as a result of medical marijuana dispensaries? Mix a lot of cash with a lot of drugs, add in guns and no regulatory controls, and you have a prescription for crime and disaster. According to the California Chiefs of Police Association, marijuana dispensaries are magnets for crime and criminals. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Dennis Parker states the Los Angeles Police Department has experienced a 200 percent increase in robberies, 52.2 percent increase in burglaries, 57 percent increase in aggravated assaults and 130.8 percent increase in auto burglaries near cannabis clubs. San Francisco police reported increased crime in 2006-2007, related to marijuana dispensaries, including: 3 homicides, 2 attempted homicides, 6 possession of loaded firearms,198 burglaries, 57 robberies, 27 attempted robberies, 98 aggravated assaults, 144 incidents of battery. In January 2007, the Drug Enforcement Administration executed search warrants on 17 dispensary owners in Los Angeles. Fourteen had prior criminal records, seven had prior weapons charges. Eight had prior drug charges, and two had murder/attempted-murder charges. Crime-related issues with medical marijuana are so prevalent in California that Cal Chiefs, in conjunction with the California Sheriff's, Narcotics Officers and District Attorney's associations, as well as the California Highway Patrol, formed a Medical Marijuana Dispensary Task Force to combat them. They have posted numerous reports and white papers regarding medical marijuana and reported crime associated with marijuana dispensaries on their web page at www.californiapolicechiefs.org/nav_files/marijuana_files/TaskForce.html Why should patients whose doctors believe medical marijuana would provide respite (from pain, nausea and other symptoms) be criminalized? If marijuana is considered "medicine" then patients should have to get it the same way they get other medicines - with medical prescriptions from physicians. Prop. 203 purports to provide "medicine" for sick patients. However, its primary effect will be to establish a system where drug seekers, including addicts, can easily obtain recreational drugs and where commercial marijuana dispensaries will become storefronts for dope dealers. Prop. 203 is bad medicine for Arizona. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt