L.A. repeals its ban on pot stores

[JI7]

Source: la times

fter struggling for years to regulate storefront pot shops, the Los Angeles City Council retreated Tuesday, voting to repeal the carefully crafted ban on medical marijuana dispensaries it approved a few months ago.

The move shows the political savvy of the increasingly organized and well-funded network of marijuana activists who sought to place a referendum overturning the ban on the March ballot, when the mayor and eight council seats will be up for grabs.

It also leaves Los Angeles, once again, without any law regulating an estimated 1,000 pot shops, which some describe as magnets for crime and others call a source of relief for those who are desperately ill.

The council's 11-2 vote came after an impassioned plea from Councilman Bill Rosendahl, a medical marijuana patient who is fighting a rare form of cancer. Looking gaunt and speaking in a faint voice, Rosendahl asked his colleagues how sick patients like him would be able to acquire the drug if the ban remained in place.

"Where does anybody go, even a councilman go, to get his medical marijuana?" he said.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-marijuana-ban-20121003,0,5172705.story

[Warren DeMontague]

1. Medical Marijuana is a problem. They need to solve the problem of medical marijuana.

The way to solve it is to just fucking legalize it all the way, already. Hopefully, soon.

[kestrel91316]

2. OMG I totally did NOT expect this!!!!!!

I think it's time for this:




"Magnets for crime", my ass. My office used to get graffiti tagged MONTHLY for YEARS until the pot shop moved in next door. They have all sorts of security cameras in the parking lot and guess what? ZERO graffiti since they moved in a couple of years ago. Effin' ZERO.

[robinlynne]

3. How sad that rosendahl is sick. I didn't know. He's one of the good ones.

mostly.

[Vidar]

4. Now if they'd just repeal Obama's DEA thugs.

[OldDem2012]

9. Don't you really mean Nixon's DEA thugs?...

...The Drug Enforcement Administration was established on 1 July 1973, by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973, signed by President Richard Nixon on 28 July 1973.

The War on Drugs has been another untouchable "third rail" until fairly recently when the need for tax revenues has overcome the knee-jerk, dogmatic approach to controlling drugs in the US.

[Vincardog]

11. Obama's DEA is the one currently leading the war against MM, in violation of his campaign promise.

[OldDem2012]

12. Sorry, but just in case you hadn't noticed....

...President Obama's had quite a few higher priority items on his plate left behind by the Bush Administration to include reviving a failed economy, winding down two wars in the Middle East, and a fix for the healthcare system.

One more point, presidential candidates make a lot of promises prior to being elected. They find out what they can actually get done after they get elected.

[Vincardog]

13. Allowing his DOJ and IRS to actively attack MM helps HOW?

[joeglow3]

15. Obama's job is carry out the laws

He can't re-write them. The blame goes to Congress.

[Vincardog]

17. Yawn

[Occulus]

23. Not quite, in the case of the Controlled Substances Act.

Per the Wiki,

Both the CSA and the treaties set out a system for classifying controlled substances in several Schedules in accordance with the binding scientific and medical findings of a public health authority. Under 21 U.S.C. § 811 of the CSA, that authority is the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Under Article 3 of the Single Convention and Article 2 of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the World Health Organization is that authority.

Put another way, the rescheduling of any drug is, in the US, ultimately within the power of any sitting President (or his nominee) via threatened dismissal, or other retaliation for cause, of the Secretary of HHS. "Reschedule cannabis or you are fired" is, in fact, one of the possible options, along with "I refuse to nominate anyone for the position who will leave cannabison the current schedule".

So, Obama not only CAN do something Congress cannot but, in fact, has the power to do the Most Important Thing regarding the entire issue: he has control over who the nominee is in the first place.

[SCVDem]

5. Funny, isn't it?

Now government regulation and oversight is a good thing. Consistency would be nice.

I do favor a method to weed out bad dispensaries although bad press should be enough, it isn't fast or punitive.

[SHRED]

6. Potential tax revenue from Legalizing marijuana

When discussing marijuana legalization, a common theme seems to inevitably come up from those in favor. It goes something like this, "We should legalize pot and the government could make millions by taxing it".
While that sounds terrific at first, on closer inspection it is, in my opinion, a severely flawed logic.
I think everyone agrees that the price of dried marijuana flower is artificially elevated due to the fact that it is illegal. There in lies the "flaw". The fact that the price is artificially set well beyond it's worth.
Should it become legal, and adults were allowed to grow 2 or 3 plants, it is my contention that the value would stabilize somewhere around what any dried flower would be worth...not much.
Therefore, medicinal/recreational marijuana's potential as a tax revenue stream is basically nil. There will, however, be a huge tax savings however in not housing prisoners and burdening our courts.


Where the tax revenue can really be found

Industrial hemp.
This is where the true commercial potential shines through.
The 10's of thousands of potential homegrown products is staggering. By replacing wood, cotton, and many petroleum based products with hemp we could go a long way towards the "green economy" that our President talks about.
Industrial hemp would play a crucial role in the revitalization of our countries economy by putting people back to work, reinvigorating small business, and fortifying revenues.

What are we waiting for?

http://www.votehemp.com/index.html


---

[Javaman]

7. So when will the police ignore the rulling and raid the stores?

it seems as if this is the pattern.

[montanto]

8. Any time, considering there is still

a big issue about "legitimate" vs. "illegitimate" pot shops, and several other things along those lines.

[shanti]

10. LA is too big of an area for the DEA to concentrate on

not like here in Sacramento, where they threatened the property owners with forfeiture so almost everyone closed shop, and there were many. now, it's just delivery service, which qualitywise, is a poor substitute. they make you wait hours and you don't get much choice.

[joeglow3]

16. Sorry, but I have a bit of a problem with your post

Specifically, "you don't get much choice." Really, medication should not be about making it taste the best for every individualized taste. I agree that it should be allowed as medically treated, but I know when I was taking a drug for some, the flavor was the LEAST of my concerns (it was the impact the drug would provide).

[shanti]

18. sorry if i wasn't clear

(and i was only referring to delivery services). i mean choice in QUALITY, not taste. when they deliver it, what are you going to say, "no, it's not what i want, take it back"? at least in the store, you get to smell it and see it before making your choice. some kinds just work better than others

oh, and i'm for total legalization, not just medical, fyi. cannabis has many uses. hopefully, oregon, washington, and colorado will lead the way there!

[tama]

22. Why not?

All individuals are different, so why should medication not be about individual "tastes" and needs?

[musiclawyer]

14. Ca will see the other states legalize

Then next year the Supreme Court will make clear that local government cannot zone out or prohibit collectives that are working within the confines of the law, i.e.,
on-site cultivation and local patients . Then the people will say WTF " why can't we get the economic stimulus of Colorado and Washington when we consume even more weed and can grow more hemp ?" .... So .....really the war on drugs ends this year if the good people of Col and Wa want it to !

[shanti]

19. yes!

[sarcasmo]

20. End the prohibition, legalize now!

[rachel1]

21. Instead of wasting time and money on criminalizing people

for possessing a natural plant why not decriminalize it and also reduce the incarceration rate and time wasted on arresting people.

Oh, wait, that'll mean less money for the prison-industrial complex.