Crime Rates Decline Near Dispensaries

Say what! The Rand Corporation in a study just released has found that crime rates near dispensaries are actually less when the dispensaries are open as opposed to when they were forced to shut down.  Naturally law enforcement officials are now playing down these findings.

It should be noted that the Rand Corporation's mission is to improve policy and decision making through research and anyalysis. So far be it for some actual facts to get in the way of opponents to medical marijuana.

Full story: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0928-marijuana-dispensaries-20110921,0,7776989.story

Drug Deaths Rise

Drug deaths now outnumber car fatalities as a cause of death in the United States.  This rise is fueled by a rise in prescription narcotic overdoses according to recent report by the Los Angeles Times. This increase is of no surprise to the medical marijuana advocates who laud medical marijuana as a safer alternative to many of the same symptoms prescription narcotics aim to cure. Such ailments such as pain, insomnia and stress are just a few of the ailments medical marijuana has arguably been found to be just as effective without the side effects.

Full text of the article: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/17/local/la-me-drugs-epidemic-20110918 

San Diego Collectives Must Close!!

San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith

Hear Ye, Hear Ye the king has spoken. San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith has issued the edict that all medical marijuna collectives operating in the city of San Diego must now close.

This is a curious turn of events as this edict follows the city repealing its own procedures for allowing collectives within the city.   In response to those prosed regulations which  medical marijuana advocates deemed to harsh and restrictive they collected enough votes force the issue to a vote.  Rather than have a public vote on the issue the city withdrew its regulations.

It appears that the city of  is now pushing back against the expansion of medical marijuana collectives in its city limits.  The number of collectives in San Diego is now estimated at 187.

Full story in San Diego Union click here:

http://web.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/sep/03/city-attorney-marijuana-collectives-must-close-imm/?ap

Anaheim Ban Back On

By far the most publicized and significant case in Southern California has been the case of Qualifed Patients Association vs. The City of Anaheim.  Last fall the California Appellate Court sent this case back to the Superior Court for a trial on the legality of Anaheim's ban of medical marijuana.

Well now Judge Chaffee has now spoken.  Judge Chaffee is essentially saying that proposition 215 passed by Califonria voters in 1996 nor the the state law that came seven years later (SB 420)  preempt the autority of cities to regulate medical marijuana business in their respective cites. For the full story  from the Los Angeles Times click on the link below.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dispensaries-20110820,0,7595286.story?obref=obnetwork

Brea Shuts Down Dispensary

All eyes will now turn to the city of Brea in the latest battle over the regulation of medical marijuana by muncipalites.  The city has prevailed in the first round as Judge Chaffe Chafee who issued injunctions in March orderied all three dispensaries in Brea to close their doors. So far, one other dispensary has closed while the third clinic – which had its injunction stayed – remains open.


The next step in this battle for patients to get safe access to their medicene will be the California Court of Appeal.


So stay tuned.

Brea Shuts Down Dispensary

 Brea Medical Network a medical marijuana dispensary was ordered shut down by Orange County Superior Judge David Chaffey for violating a Premliminary Injunction that he had previously issued on June 27, 2011. http://www.ocregister.com/news/brea-306084-city-dispensary.html

The City of Brea has appointed a receiver to take over  a medical marijuana dispensary and effectively shutting down all but one of the medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the city.

Note Judge Chaffey is the judge who currently is presiding over Costa Mesa's battle to shut down its medical marijuana dispensaries.  Just what standards he is applying in shutting down the Brea dispensaries is something worth watching and paying attention to.  On the surface the Brea ruling seems to in violation of the Quality Patients ruling vs. the city of Anaheim in which he was overruled.  http://login.findlaw.com/scripts/callaw?dest=ca/caapp4th/187/734.html

Here is to hoping the attorneys for Brea Medical Network continue to put up the good fight and and appeal the ruling.

DOJ NO HELP

Such persons who are in the business of cultivating, selling distributing are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) ...

Should I have expected anything else from our president?  As usual the Obama administration chooses the most politically expedient position it can find.  And I really don't know what I was thinking or feeling in the last few weeks when I actually thought that the Department of Justice would actually clarify its polices in such a way to help Americans get safe access to medical cannabis.

This new position was supposed to provide some guidance and assistance to patients and those who are in the business of providing medical cannabis. Instead we get a new memo that says that the prosecution of truly sick patients is not a priority but at the same time says those that provide the medicine for the truly sick are still subject to prosecution.

What's left is for Congress to pass real Marijuana legislation that ends federal prohibition of medical marijuana.  In fact and what has been reported by NORML and Toke of The Town, HR 2306 The Ending Federal Prohibition Marijuana Act of 2011 is now pending in Congress.

Whatever happened to states rights?? Stay Tuned...