Fed Crackdown Begins

Last week the fedeal crackdown on California medical marijuna dispensaries was announced.  Over the weekend it began in ernest.

NoHo Caregivers has been shut down. According to reports this was a for profit enterprise that was engaging in illegal marijuana distrubution.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_19068188

Canna Clinics in Torrance and Garden Grove was shut down temporaraily over the weekend.

Garden Grove Update

Despite the upcoming federal crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries in California, Garden Grove will still press on with its upcoming plan to regulate and allow medical marijuaa dispensaries in Garden Grove.

There was some initial puzzlement over just what Garden Grove would do in light of this federal crackdown. We now have at least an intiial answer.  Full story in OC Registger:

http://articles.ocregister.com/2011-10-08/news/30261483_1_dispensaries-medical-marijuana-susan-emery

The Feds Are Coming

The federal government, yes our federal goverment has announced a crackdown on California's Medical Marijuana dispensaries.  This results in an about face from Presdient Obama's initial hands off policy for medical marijuana dispensaries that are in compliance with their states law's and regulations.

See Los Angeles Times article detailing this policy change:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-obama-medical-marijuana-20111008,0,5209592.story

Rancho Santa Margarita Bans Dispensaries

Seems like every week another city is misinformed and chooses to deny medical marijuna patitients acess to medical cannabis.  This time the misguided city is Rancho Santa Margarita.  The city council while not enacting an outright ban has chosen to enact a 45 day temporary ban.

While a 45 day ban on medical marijuana dispensaries may not seem so serious on its face the issue is that these 45 day bans usually result in much longer bans which are de facto permanent bans.

So we'll see how this plays out in Rancho Santa Margarita and we wish the medical marijuana community all the luck down there.

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