Pubdate: Fri, 24 Jun 2016
Source: Orange County Register, The (CA)
Copyright: 2016 The Orange County Register
Contact:  http://www.ocregister.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321

FULLERTON FUMBLES ON POT

It looks like medical marijuana will remain prohibited in Fullerton, 
at least for the time being, after "City Council members on Tuesday 
unanimously agreed to wait until after the November election to make 
a decision on permitting the cultivation of medical marijuana within 
city limits," the Register reported.

While the merits of a plebiscite on the issue seem dubious, as we 
believe that city councils are elected to make decisions like this on 
behalf of the people they represent, it is even more questionable why 
it is necessary to wait until after the November election to decide 
whether to allow access to medical marijuana within the city.

The voters already spoke on the subject of medical marijuana back in 
1996 when Proposition 215 passed with 56 percent of the vote. That 
measure allows a patient, according to state law, to use medical 
marijuana with a prescription from a medical doctor.

Prohibition has proved that making something illegal doesn't end 
demand for it and the limited access to medical marijuana across the 
county, nearly 20 years after voters approved Prop. 215, remains disheartening.

Procrastination on medical marijuana won't help once statewide 
legalization occurs, and Santa Ana can't be expected to be the 
medical marijuana guinea pig for most of the county in the meantime.

More than 600,000 signatures were submitted last month to put a 
marijuana legalization initiative on the statewide November ballot - 
200,000 more than necessary. Now is the time to carefully craft 
policies that allow access while maintaining the character of our communities.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom