Pot Wars Heat Up, Again
http://www.independent.com/news/2010/may/13/pot-wars-heat-again/
Community Movers and Shakers Announce Opposition to All Dispensaries
Thursday, May 13, 2010
By Nick Welsh
With the ink barely dry on the City of Santa Barbara's new draft
medical marijuana dispensary ordinance, a group of community movers
and shakers has announced its opposition to any dispensaries and
called for an outright ban. Arguing that dispensaries pose a "public
health threat to kids and businesses," Fighting Back an anti-drug
and -alcohol nonprofit boasting a stellar board of community
luminaries called on City Hall to enact an outright ban. Medical
marijuana dispensaries have been operating within city limits for the
past 10 years, and Santa Barbara remains the only city within county
limits to allow them. The City Council and its Ordinance Committee
have spent countless hours and months revising the existing ordinance
to limit the number of allowable dispensaries to no more than five
and ensure they're evenly distributed throughout the city. Two weeks
ago, the council's committee put the finishing touches on the new
ordinance, which is expected to go to the council as a whole later
this year after review by the Planning Commission.
The flyer announcing the Fighting Back press event, held this
Wednesday at City College, was headlined, "Don't Cannabis Our Kids."
It quoted acting district attorney Ann Bramsen, pointing out that
medical dispensaries "are absolutely illegal under federal law." It's
well known that California's medical marijuana laws have conflicted
with federal law since 1995, when California voters overwhelmingly
endorsed Prop. 215, decriminalizing medical marijuana. Likewise, the
flyer announced that Santa Barbara Police Chief Cam Sanchez, a member
of the Fighting Back board, would be present to call for a dispensary
ban. Contacted by phone, Sanchez stated it would not be appropriate
for him to participate in any event that would make it appear he was
criticizing his employers, the City Council. Sanchez said he
personally opposed dispensaries, but recognized that California
voters had spoken. "Like a lot of people in law enforcement, we feel
we shouldn't have them," he said. "But if my council says we should
have a certain number, then I'm going to honor that."
In a similar vein, the Downtown Organization (DO), which represents
business owners in downtown Santa Barbara, sent the council a letter
opposing the Ordinance Committee's decision to allow any dispensaries
downtown. "The difficulty we are currently facing with an abundance
of unsavory nonlaw-abiding characters will be exacerbated by the
easy access to these dispensaries," wrote DO chief Dave Damiano.
"This will only further discourage locals and tourists alike from
patronizing the downtown corridor, which is the economic engine of
the city." The newest proposed ordinance language did create the
possibility for a dispensary downtown, but only just barely. Thus
far, the council has opposed an outright ban in deference to those
arguing that dispensaries help people in genuine medical need obtain
effective relief they could not otherwise get.
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