Pubdate: Fri, 13 Jul 2012
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388

A MISGUIDED POT CRACKDOWN

An overzealous federal crackdown on medical marijuana once again is 
ramping up in the Bay Area. It won't work, it's not wanted and raises 
questions about the federal government's law-enforcement priorities.

The latest chapter is a civil forfeiture order posted this week on 
the front windows of two giant storefront operations run by 
Harborside Health Center in Oakland and San Jose.

Since October, more than 400 cannabis outlets across the state have 
closed after federal authorities sent threatening notices to 
operators and their landlords, marijuana advocates claim. Add to this 
the fact banks and credit card firms will no longer service marijuana 
clinics out of fear of legal trouble.

Right now, California - and the Bay Area especially - has a legal 
target painted on it. After signaling tolerance of medical-marijuana 
operations that comply with state laws, the Obama administration has 
moved to a broad legal attack featuring raids and litigation to shut 
down a medical business that voters authorized and the broad 
population continues to support.

No question, the state law approved by voters in 1996 leaves too much 
room for interpretation. Not all pot-selling operations are ethical, 
strictly run or concerned about a patient's health, the premise for 
allowing marijuana sales.

Grow operations have brought violence and crime as well as health 
hazards and fires. The free and easy rules for therapeutic use must 
be toughened.

Sacramento and local leaders, medical authorities and marijuana 
boosters have a duty to ameliorate these problems, a task that is 
taking too long. But this delay is no excuse for heavy-handed federal 
action that will punish patients and push pot sales back to the era 
of dark-alley sales.

This week's actions against Harborside point up the stakes in the 
dispute. U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, in charge of the local 
crackdown, described the two Harborside operations as "marijuana 
superstores" where abuses of the state's law are magnified.

Harborside, which says it has 108,000 customers is indeed huge, 
possibly the biggest operation in the nation. It employs over 100 
people, registers $30 million in sales, and pays $3 million in taxes, 
according to news reports. One state tax agency estimates California 
pot clinic levies bring in from $58 million to $105 million per year.

The scale - and widespread social acceptance - of medical marijuana 
make it plain that the drug isn't going away, especially after 16 
years of operation, uncontested until the last year. Along with 
California, 16 states plus the District of Columbia, have similar 
medical marijuana laws.

Instead of acknowledging this reality, Washington has chosen legal 
combat, insisting that a federal ban on marijuana sales is the final 
word. It's the height of denial.

California deserves a chance to reform a humane but flawed law. It 
needs Washington's cooperation, not its overboard tactics.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom