Pubdate: Wed, 22 Aug 2012
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2012 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: J. M. Smith

KEEP THE FAITH

Despite Recent Setbacks, Legal Medical Marijuana Will Continue to Be Available

Being a medical-marijuana patient is beginning to feel a bit like 
living in a house of cards. And the wind is beginning to blow.

In the past two weeks, Gov. Jan reignited the bundle of sticks at our 
feet by yet again siccing bulldog Tom Horne on the MMJ community. And 
in Los Angeles, where (and possibly in part because) the artist 
formerly known as Snoop Dogg touts the benefits of MMJ in dispensary 
ads, the city is gearing up to enforce a storefront sales ban imposed 
last month. In July, the U.S. attorney for Northern California-the 
Holy Land of MMJ-sent notice that she plans to cast the walls of the 
temple asunder at the biggest dispensary in the nation, San 
Francisco's Harborside Health Center, where more than 100,000 
patients are connected with their meds.

Breezes like that threaten to topple the MMJ house, which has a sound 
structure above ground in Arizona, but is built on shaky federal substrate.

Ultimately, though, I am encouraged by the state of affairs. Why 
shouldn't I be? Things are actually looking pretty good for MMJ. I 
suggest we all step back and take a look at the forest.

Although the governor has repeatedly and consistently dragged her 
knuckles and feet in attempts to block dispensaries, I haven't heard 
a peep from her about the 25,000-plus patients authorized to grow. 
All of those people are also authorized to give me meds in exchange 
for donations to compensate for their considerable growing costs. So 
despite frequent hue and cry from the MMJ community, I don't think 
many patients will go without meds if dispensary operators follow 
Gen. Horne's advice to cease and desist with plans to open.

Do I want dispensaries? Yes. Will my world come crashing down if they 
never open? No.

And true enough, the Los Angeles City Council voted last week to ban 
storefront MMJ operations in the city. But the council also voted to 
craft an ordinance allowing dozens of storefronts that were there 
when a 2007 ban was passed. Since the first so-called ban, more than 
700 dispensaries have opened. Be real, people. Did you really think 
hundreds of businesses could fly that overtly in the face of the law 
and get away with it? Does L.A. really need more MMJ dispensaries 
than Starbucks? No.

And Los Angeles accounts for barely a quarter of the 12 million 
people in the metro area. The rest live in other communities, like 
Long Beach, Burbank and Anaheim. Southern Californians might have to 
get in a car to fetch meds, but it seems there will be plenty of 
dispensaries to go around, even if only a few dozen are allowed in L.A.

The breezes might be shaking the house a little, but even if it 
falls, I think we'll be better off than we were before medical 
marijuana. In the 16 years since California voters became the first 
in the nation to endorse MMJ, 15 other states have followed suit. A 
half-dozen have proposals in their state legislatures. Even here in 
Arizona-where local authorities, not feds, have raided MMJ 
collectives-things look pretty good. There are scores of collectives 
in the Phoenix area (though fewer here), and I have heard of no legal 
small-time MMJ growers being arrested.

So, as I look out from our house of cards, the jack of spades 
quivering beside me and the queen of hearts trembling overhead, I am 
convinced I'll be just fine. So will the 33,000 other Arizona MMJ 
patients. Do you really think we would be unable to get meds to 
people who need them if dispensaries are blocked? I don't.

Let's just be grateful that if our house slumps down around our feet, 
we can adjourn to the guest house, where more than 25,000 people are 
growing enough meds for all of us. And most of them would gladly 
share with fellow patients.

For that, I am grateful.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom