The battle over medical marijuana in Los Angeles took a new step today(March 2nd) with an organization suing the city. Americans for Safe Access, the primary nonprofit advocate for medical marijuana, claimed the ordinance that will come into law later this month will make even the law-abiding businesses have to close. The law, due to be enforced March 14th, gives dispensaries only seven days to move 1000 feet from schools, churches, and parks. The lawsuit said, “[it] severely restricts access to medical marijuana by effectively forcing plaintiffs, as well as the vast majority of collectives in the City, to close their doors.” The suit goes even further to claim that the new city ordinance violates the state law, so they are seeking a restraining order to prevent it from being imposed.
To begin, I believe that marijuana-even medical-should be made illegal. Clearly, many marijuana advocates have taken advantage of the “medical marijuana” system in order to make money, or use it themselves. I do not disregard the small population that honestly uses it for medicinal purposes, however; The United States has not had a problem with having marijuana illegal previously, and I do not see why we should lower our standards to create a loophole to make it as though it were legal. Since a law passed in 2007, the number of “medical marijuana” dispensaries has skyrocketed. Even in Hacienda Heights I have seen a few around. To me this shows the decline of morals within California. While reading this article I was surprised to hear that the lawsuit was being made by the marijuana advocates, and not those witnessing the corruption of the issue.
The new ordinance that requires medical marijuana dispensaries to be at least 1000 feet from school is a small step in the right direction. It only makes sense to move these often “easy access” marijuana suppliers from our country’s youth. Not only will it prevent some temptation by the dispensaries, but from the children as well. I hope the courts will see past the non-sense of this lawsuit and realized the difference between right and wrong. Ignorance of the fact of how these dispensaries are running, and making money, is completely wrong. On top of all of this it is against the federal law to use marijuana. I know we are learning about how normally the federal government reigns supreme. Interstate commerce should be able to kick in and make even medical marijuana illegal.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/medical-marijuana-advocates-file-lawsuit-challenging-los-angeles-ordinance.html
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