FULLERTON REVERSES ITSELF ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Fullerton Reverses Itself on Medical Marijuana, by Giving in to
Politics of Fear.

The city of Fullerton was well on its way to adopting a simple and
sensible approach to medical marijuana, after voting 3-2 to allow
heavily regulated cannabis dispensaries to operate in the city.
California state law allows them to operate, and the Orange County
Board of Supervisors voted to create a medical-marijuana ID card so
that sick people could have a legal means to buy the marijuana that
helps them. This was a welcome freedom-friendly change from some other
local cities, which have rushed to shut out any such clinics - often
by trading in unsubstantiated allegations that the dispensaries become
havens for crime and illicit drug use.

Councilman Dick Jones, who unfairly depicted the many sick people who
use medical marijuana as "druggies," and Councilman Don Bankhead, a
retired police officer, voted "no." Mayor Sharon Quirk and council
members Shawn Nelson and Pam Keller voted "yes." They correctly argued
that city councils are sworn to uphold state law, and that the
question of whether marijuana is appropriate medicine is not the
matter at hand. Voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition 215 in
1996, and the measure even passed in the city of Fullerton.

But then the Fullerton Police Department began exercising its
political muscle. Police officials engaged in a sting operation. They
went to Venice Beach and obtained a prescription, then came back to
Fullerton and bought marijuana at a hotel room using a Costco card as
an ID. Police officials lobbied against the dispensaries proposal, and
city staff provided council members with information stacked against
the proposal. Government officials don't like change, and police
officials often forget they are supposed to uphold, not write, the
laws.

Under such pressure, Councilman Nelson, a Republican, and Mayor Quirk,
a Democrat, rolled over and switched their votes, proving once again
that political cowardice is a bipartisan condition. Only Councilwoman
Keller held her ground and voted to allow the clinics to operate in
Fullerton, provided they follow a number of strict conditions. In
response to the police sting, Ms. Keller reminded us that such illegal
sales have nothing to do with the proposed law - they happen today
anyway. She's concerned that "no one has an opportunity to buy it legally."

She blames the switched vote on fear: "This is not a moral issue, and
it's not about drugs. It's about compassion. ... We need to stand up for
people who can't stand up for themselves."

It's also about freedom. But standing up for state law, individual
freedom and compassion are rare commodities among politicians fearful
of political repercussions.