MEDICAL MARIJUANA UNDER SIEGE

County's Temporary Ban On Dispensaries Leaves Users In Bind

Since a stroke and four-week coma suffered 33 years ago, Sunshine Laue has
used marijuana to deal with crippling body pains, depression, anxiety and a
slew of other health problems.

Now, the 60-year-old Yucca Valley grandmother and other area marijuana
patients are wondering where they will get the medicine they've come to
rely on.

In what some view as a pre-emptive strike against the statewide marijuana
use registration program, Riverside County has temporarily banned all
medical marijuana dispensaries in all unincorporated areas.

County leaders say the 45-day prohibition, which has the potential to
become permanent, will allow the county to put zoning in place that
regulates where dispensaries can be placed. They predict that the county
will see an influx of such locations as it prepares to locally implement
the state ID card for patients.

But area users and advocates of medical marijuana use say this is a ploy to
stop people from using the drug. Plus, it will turn these patients into
criminals by forcing them to buy off the illicit market.

"It's hurting a lot of people," said Laue, who goes through two or three
grams of marijuana a day by smoking it or ingesting it in bread and cookies.

"We are people under siege," she said. "It's very difficult to procure our
medication. We try very hard to be lawful and to be proper in our society.

"With this stupid fear of retaliation or fear of discovery, we don't live a
normal life.

California is one of only 10 states where people can legally use marijuana
with a doctor's recommendation.

The patients have been diagnosed with a variety of diseases, including
AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma.

Though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that users here can still face
federal prosecution, the California Department of Health and Safety is
continuing with a statewide program to register such patients with ID cards.

Those cards should be available in Riverside County come December.

Dispensaries are similar to a local drug store. Patients can go in, show
their user ID card and purchase their medication.

County zoning does not address where such dispensaries can be located, so
county officials fear it could be located near churches and schools.

The emergency ban gives the county 45 days to establish where - if anywhere
- - these dispensaries can be located.

"We're just trying to get a hold on the situation," says Supervisor Marion
Ashley, whose district includes Desert Hot Springs and northern Palm Springs.

He did not know how many dispensaries are in Riverside County or where they
are located. Other county supervisors could not be reached Friday.

"It's in the best interest of the public," Ashley said of the county's
decision. "The idea is to come up with a better system.

"This is an attempt to control, to be fair and to stay within the law."

But medical marijuana advocates like Lanny Swerdlow say that the broad
definition of "dispensaries" will also outlaw cooperative groups of
patients who grow their own. "What they really want is to gut the law,"
said Swerdlow, a Palm Springs man who declined to discuss his own personal
health history but has been been active with the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition
Project since 1999.

"They're personally opposed to anything dealing with marijuana. They've now
made the patients into criminals."

It's unclear how many local residents use marijuana medically. But a
monthly support group that meets in Cathedral City draws some 40 people.
And other support groups in the county also draw small crowds.

Martin and Lavonne Victor of Temecula have been using marijuana since 2000.

Martin says other medication wouldn't help his optical-nerve swelling,
cluster headaches and fibromyalgia syndrome.

His wife, Lavonne, has suffered everything from agoraphobia to panic
attacks. She says her condition was so severe that a mental and physical
breakdown left her bedridden and unable to care for herself.

In the last couple days, the parents of four have been bombarded by people
looking to join their growing group.

The couple says the patients are looking for any way to avoid the illicit
market. "We have had quite a few panic e-mails," Marty Victor said. "It's
rough on a lot of people out there."

Sidebar

WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT BANNING MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES "If anything, it's
better that it is open and there's legitimate places for people who need
it, I do know from experience there are people it truly helps,"

Sean Kibbey, 22, Palm Springs "You should be able to have marijuana for
medical reasons and it should be accessible. I've seen people in pain,. If
(county leaders) can do anything to help people in pain feel better, they
should,"

Penny Kieffer, 52, Buffalo, N.Y. "Dispensaries should have enough security
to know who needs it. (The ban) is pretty ridiculous. Now they'll have to
get it illegally if they need it that bad,"

Mandy Garza, 19, Palm Desert

According to Internet research, 10 states where marijuana is a legalized
treatment: Alaska California Colorado Hawaii Maine Montana Nevada Oregon
Vermont Washington