Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jan 2015
Source: Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
Copyright: 2015 The Press-Enterprise Company
Contact: http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/letters_form.html
Website: http://www.pe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/830

POISED TO LEGALIZE POT?

The legalization of marijuana is a matter of when - not if.

Four decades of prohibition have been a remarkable display of poorly 
conceived and badly implemented policy. It seems as though lawmakers 
in the Inland Empire are starting to awaken to this reality.

"I think marijuana dispensaries will be coming to Riverside," says 
city councilman Mike Gardner. "It also won't surprise me when 
California follows Washington and Oregon."

His fellow councilman Mike Soubirous, who recognizes the medicinal 
value of marijuana, anticipates a time when marijuana is "regulated 
like alcohol."

The city of Riverside spent much of last year resisting a ballot 
initiative that, if passed, would authorize approximately 10 
marijuana dispensaries in the city. The city sued the proponents, an 
effort shot down in court last month.

Attorney Joseph Thompson, who represents proponents of the 
initiative, described the city as being so committed to the failed 
policy of prohibiting medical marijuana that city officials are 
"willing to sue their own electorate, hire private attorneys, using 
the electorate's money."

The city has yet to decide if it will move forward, though neither 
Mr. Gardner nor Mr. Soubirous anticipate an appeal from the city. "I 
don't see us fighting over something the city already lost. I think 
it should be up to the will of the people," says Mr. Soubirous.

Though Mr. Gardner would rather see the City Council make the 
decision of permitting medical marijuana dispensaries, he hasn't seen 
much of any interest among council members during his seven years in 
office to act on the issue. "We've mainly just been waiting to see 
how marijuana dispensaries play out in other cities," he says.

Thus far, the cities of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and 
Cathedral City are the only cities in the Inland Empire that permit 
medical marijuana dispensaries. Palm Springs initially authorized 
three dispensaries, but has since authorized a fourth. The latter two 
cities only recently permitted dispensaries and are processing 
applications from potential dispensary operators.

"I think that what Palm Springs has shown is that the sky won't fall 
if you allow the dispensation of medical marijuana," says Mr. Thompson.

Indeed, it appears that a properly regulated dispensary system can 
yield significant benefits. Secure buildings, with cameras and armed 
guards are preferable to the potential harms of the black market.

The city of Riverside could benefit from finally permitting the 
dispensaries. Since 2010, the city has spent over $800,000 on private 
attorneys to combat unauthorized medical marijuana dispensaries, as 
well as utilizing an unqualified amount of in-house resources on the matter.

Cities like Palm Springs that have created a system of permitted 
dispensaries have seen significant drops in unauthorized 
dispensaries, without needing to waste more taxpayer resources.

Of course, there is always the possibility that California will 
follow the trend of marijuana legalization, thus further complicating 
things for generally reluctant local governments.

Just as the sky has yet to fall in Palm Springs for permitting 
medical marijuana, Colorado and Washington don't seem to have 
succumbed to reefer madness, either.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom