DESPITE FEDERAL RULING, CITIES STILL PROHIBIT MARIJUANA CLUBS

Now that the discrepancy between federal and state medical marijuana
laws has been resolved, cities throughout California are reexamining
their stance on whether to allow local cannabis clubs permission to operate.

United States Attorney General Eric Holder announced March 18 that
medical marijuana dispensaries permitted under state law would no
longer be prosecuted, but according to a recent survey of mayors and
other city officials, the cannabis clubs in Camarillo, Moorpark and
the Conejo and Simi valleys are still not welcome.

Following the 1996 California law that decriminalized the use of
medical marijuana, many local cities passed moratoriums outlawing the
cannabis clubs in support of the federal government's antidrug stance.

Officials said the local prohibitions would likely remain in effect.
Under California law, cities retain the right to prohibit certain
businesses if they choose.

Agoura Hills Mayor Denis Weber said he was disappointed in
Washington's decision to soften its stance on medical marijuana.

Thousand Oaks Mayor Tom Glancy said the use of medical marijuana may
be beneficial, but that it was "far too easy to misuse."

And despite the recent federal ruling, Calabasas Mayor Jon Wolfson
said his city is proposing a new ban on medical marijuana facilities.

"This is based on past public testimony at both the (Calabasas)
Public Safety Commission and the Planning Commission concerning crime
and safety concerns associated with such facilities," Wolfson said.
"Not speaking on behalf of the council, but speaking personally, I
would not support legalizing marijuana for the purposes of additional
tax revenue to the city."

Camarillo's moratorium on dispensaries is coming to an end July 8,
but attorney Brian Pierik said the City Council may extend the
moratorium for another year. The temporary ban on Camarillo pot clubs
was passed because the city's municipal code didn't address the
matter, he said.

Pierik pointed out that the federal government's promise not to raid
California dispensaries doesn't make pot entirely legal.

"It's still against federal law," he said. "The fact that the federal
government may not enforce the law doesn't mean it's not still a law.

Only Westlake Village has taken a less punitive stance.

Mayor Robert Slavin said a marijuana dispensary could "potentially
move in" as long as it complied with Westlake ordinances.

"I am a firm believer in state rights," Slavin said.

While Slavin sees the benefits of medical marijuana for people with
cancer and other serious illnesses, he said he has "misgivings" about
legalizing pot for all Californians. He fears it would usher in a
"whole host of issues."

Tax Issue Remains Cloudy

If the California Legislature passes Assembly Bill 390, the
possession, sale and cultivation of marijuana will become legal in
California. The bill would open the door for pot to be taxed, which
could produce windfall revenues at a time when governments are
struggling to keep finances in tact.

"Certainly the legislature is trying to be creative, but there's got
to be other ways than that," Parvin said.

Glancy agreed.

"That's not the way I want to fill our coffers," Glancy said.

Simi Valley Mayor Paul Miller, the city's former chief of police,
thinks the proposal to legalize and tax cannabis is "absurd." He said
state leaders appear to be doing things "backwards."

"If the state had been doing its job all along, we wouldn't be in
this fix," Miller said regarding the budget crisis.

Simi has a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries, and Miller
doesn't envision a change, regardless of the federal ruling
prohibiting raids on legal outlets.

"Legalizing marijuana won't fix the budget problems," Assemblymember
Audra Strickland said. "We also need to consider the consequences
that legalizing this drug would have on our children," she said.

But Moorpark City Council member Roseann Mikos thinks it's time that
a marijuana tax be considered. She compared the pot issue to
prohibition in the 1920s, when alcohol was outlawed.

"The prohibition was a complete failure," Mikos said. "All it did was
increase organized crime."

License to Carry

Police officers in Moorpark often meet people--mostly college
students--who are carrying medical marijuana cards, said Moorpark
Police Capt. Ron Nelson.

When someone possesses a card and they have a small amount of
marijuana, officers "pretty much send them on their way," Nelson
said. "It just depends on the amount they have. If it's more than
obvious personal use, they're subject to arrest," he said.

Nelson was critical of the ease in which people who are not sick can
obtain a medical marijuana card.

"The vast majority of card holders are people who just want to use
marijuana for purposes other than medicinal," he said.

As for the legalization and taxing of cannabis, Nelson doesn't
endorse the idea.

"(Marijuana) is addictive and leads to the use of other drugs." But
if marijuana eventually becomes legal in California, Moorpark police
officers will follow the law, he said.