Pubdate: Thu, 30 Aug 2012
Source: Los Angeles Daily News (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact: http://www.dailynews.com/writealetter
Website: http://www.dailynews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/246
Author: Rick Orlov

50,000 SIGNATURES COLLECTED TO OVERTURN L.A.'S BAN ON MEDICAL 
MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

The city's long struggle to control medical marijuana dispensaries 
took a new turn on Wednesday with the collection of 50,000 signatures 
on petitions to overturn the city's proposed ban on dispensaries.

If the signatures are validated once they are formally submitted on 
Thursday, it will put the city's ban - scheduled to take effect on 
Sept.6 - on hold until the March 5 municipal election.

Don Duncan, California director of Americans for Safe Access, urged 
the City Council to rescind its ordinance and return to negotiating 
with medical marijuana advocates.

"Very soon, the city will be faced with having to rescind its 
ordinance or put the decision before Los Angeles voters," Duncan said.

"Because of the ban's questionable future, the city ought to 
reconsider its tough stance on enforcing the ban."

Councilman Jose Huizar, who authored the citywide ban on the 
dispensaries because of their proliferation, said he remained 
undeterred by the threat of the referendum.

"We still plan to move forward with the idea that dispensaries do not 
have a right to exist," Huizar said. "If there is a stay on the 
ordinance, we will have no law in the city allowing the dispensaries 
and we will enforce state and federal laws on marijuana."

There also has been an ongoing dispute between the state and federal 
authorities on the issue. California voters approved medical 
marijuana with Proposition 215 - a measure federal authorities argue 
is in violation of their laws on marijuana as an outlawed substance.

Huizar said the city has tried to work with the medical marijuana 
community without success.

"We passed a measure that we thought worked and we were hit with 70 
lawsuits," Huizar said. "It strikes me this is more about profit than 
getting marijuana to people who need it."

Huizar called his proposal a gentle ban in that it allowed patients 
and caregivers to grow marijuana without punishment.

Kris Hermes, spokesman for Americans for Safe Access, said the ease 
with which the signatures were gathered and the number should send a 
message to City Hall. They needed 28,000 signatures to qualify for 
the ballot; they collected 50,000.

"The patients and advocates have come forward and said the ban is 
unacceptable and should be reconsidered," Hermes said, adding the 
city chose to avoid considering ordinances from other cities that 
would have been acceptable.

Assistant City Clerk Holly Wolcott said the city will use a random 
sample of the signatures submitted to determine if the referendum 
qualifies for the ballot. It would be placed on the regularly 
scheduled March ballot to avoid any additional costs.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom