San Diego supervisors defy voters and state
I haven't commented much on the medical marijuana situation in California recently. It's a complex situation made much less coherent by the flawed Raich decision (or more accurately, by the federal government's unwillingness to allow the State of California to administer its own laws regarding the medical needs of its citizens).
Medical marijuana is still the law of the state, and the state is trying to set up procedures to adhere to the law (although that becomes complicated as well -- if you set up ID cards to properly handle medical marijuana distribution, does that set the patient up for potential federal harrassment?) The problem is, though, that the conflict between the state and the feds is emboldening some local units of government into disregarding state law -- another unsettling and de-stabilizing by-product of a disfunctional federal policy about a relatively harmless plant.
California Senate Bill 420 takes effect in December and sets up a regulated system for medical marijuana and requires all counties to follow the procedures for patient applications, etc. On Tuesday, the San Diego County Supervisors refused:
Flouting state law, county supervisors yesterday refused to implement a program providing identification cards that would help medical marijuana users avoid arrest.
County attorneys warned supervisors that their vote will almost certainly plunge the county into costly and unwinnable litigation.
Their response: Bring it on.
They are breaking state law and therefore potentially subjecting the county residents to cost of large lawsuits simply because they don't agree with medical marijuana.
And check out this bizarre reasoning:
"After spending thousands and thousands of community enhancement dollars to go after gangs and drug dealers, I think it would be tremendous hypocrisy to vote for this," Supervisor Bill Horn said. "I look forward to the lawsuit when it happens."
What's up, San Diego? How did these idiots become Supervisors? Can you do something about that, please?
[Thanks, nhop and Scott]
7:48:30 AM | drug policy | Links | permalink |
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