New San Diego mayor stops medical marijuana crackdown

[RainDog]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/14/new-san-diego-mayor-stops-medical-marijuana-crackdown/

Less than two months into his first term, the new Democratic mayor of San Diego is coming out big for medical marijuana.

In a series of announcements last week, Mayor Bob Filner sent memos to the city’s zoning and code compliance officers calling for an end to all code enforcement actions against medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

According to The Los Angeles Times, he’s also preparing to direct the city council to take up the issue of formal zoning rules that incorporate medical marijuana.

Dispensaries in San Diego have been struggling to obtain land use ordinances, which have not been formally adopted for businesses that profit off a drug that is technically illegal under federal law. A prior attempt to create zoning rules for medical marijuana was dropped in 2011 after the industry opposed it.

This is how you implement the law that people have voted to allow.

[Webster Green]

1. The problem is the feds don't pay attention to local & state wishes.

Federal prosecutors merely threaten the landlords with forfeiture proceedings, and that pretty much convinces property owners not to rent to dispensaries.

Until cannabis is re-scheduled, we're fighting a very tough battle.

[RainDog]

2. Yes. Transition times are unstable.

And people do (and are) caught between change and those who resist it.

However, every action that any politician takes that furthers the normalization of marijuana as part of the standard commercial product in this society is a good thing, overall, and helps to end the war on marijuana (users who aren't rich.)

[Webster Green]

3. Totally.

Props to the mayor for taking a brave stand.