BE CONSISTENT ON POT SMOKING BAN

Should medical marijuana advocates be permitted to light up at their
annual festival later this month?

The Santa Cruz City Council, so far, says no and we agree.

Here's the reasons why.

First, however, the obligatory disclaimer: the Sentinel, along with
the council, has supported the use of medical marijuana for people
who need the drug to help them cope with medical issues.

We also have consistently voiced concerns -- rooted in common sense
and personal observations -- that everyday tokers have taken
advantage of city policies allowing the limited cultivation and use
of medical marijuana to further their own drug use. For example,
police raided a medical marijuana advocacy office in downtown Santa
Cruz and arrested its founder on suspicion of selling pot.

And even in a city that has directed police to make marijuana
enforcement its lowest priority, smoking pot is illegal without a prescription.

But that brings us to the WAMM Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical
Marijuana Festival scheduled for Sept. 27 in San Lorenzo Park.

Last year, the council passed a temporary suspension of the city's
ordinance against smoking in public parks -- a move at the time we
said created a bad precedent.

What, for instance, would stop a pro-cigarette smoking group from
seeking a similar suspension if people wanted to light up in a park?

Since the council previously had decided the local citizenry needed
such a ban, we think they should stick to it.

WAMM organizers have countered that people need to take their
medicine, which is legal.

But, again, if a medical marijuana patient, who has a prescription
for the drug, needs to be medicated for the WAMM event, why can't he
or she use the drug before coming, or by another means besides smoking?

At last year's event, Sentinel reporters found that people were
coming from out of town to attend the WAMMfest, and that others
ignored the festival's tent set up for medical marijuana patients who
couldn't wait to take a hit. Instead, people openly smoked pot on the lawn.

The council is to consider the issue again next Tuesday, and could
change its 3-3 vote to again suspend the smoking ban. Pro-medical pot
advocates will certainly lobby hard to persuade council members to
again suspend the ban.

But one council member who voted last year to lift the ban has said
he will be absent Tuesday, thus raising the possibility the current
tie won't change and pot smoking won't be permitted.

If the city is serious about its smoking ban in parks, the council
should be consistent and not change its previous vote.