SC DESERVES A MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY

New Administration Policies Help

It's time to apply some common sense.

California residents approved Proposition 215, knows as the
Compassionate Use Act, in 1996 with 5,382,915 (55.6 percent) votes in
favor and 4,301,960 (44.4 percent) against, but federal laws have
trumped the state's rights.

Now, two Morgan Hill men are looking to open a medical marijuana
dispensary in north Gilroy to serve South County patients.

One of the difficulties dispensaries face has been the response of
the federal government. Under the administration of George W. Bush,
federal agents raided California dispensaries selling medical
cannabis, claiming the state had no right to pass the bill since
marijuana was prohibited under federal law. That has changed under
the Obama administration. In February, Attorney General Eric Holder
announced the federal government would no longer raid
medical-marijuana clubs that abide by state laws. That's a start.

Detractors Say It Will Increase Crime

Batzi Kuburovich, a 48-year-old Morgan Hill resident and real estate
agent, and his partner Neil Forrest, a 56-year real estate agent,
formed Cornerstone Commercial Real Estate Services in Morgan Hill.
Now, they have applied to open MediLeaf.

The Gilroy City Council is considering the application.

Meanwhile, advocates and detractors have inundated the comment page
on our Web site. Detractors say a medical marijuana dispensary will
increase crime, allow access to marijuana to those who attempt to
fraudulently purchase it and that it is addictive and a gateway drug
that will lead users down the path of using harder, more addictive drugs.

Hogwash.

Reap the Benefits and Ease Suffering

Advocates say allowing dispensaries to sell medical marijuana will
not increase crime, but could in fact decrease crime, and will bring
in much needed revenue.

Kuburovich and Forrest say at least two security guards will screen
people entering a closed foyer, and an "open-door policy" with police
will emphasize that the pair has no stomach for people who feign
symptoms to acquire prescriptions that they then use to buy legal
marijuana to sell on the streets, Kuburovich told reporter Michael Moore.

In fact, patients buying from state-authorized dispensaries will
reduce the number of people buying from illegal street dealers. And
make no mistake, they are using street dealers.

A report, "Marijuana Production in the United States," by marijuana
policy researcher Jon Gettman, concludes that despite massive
eradication efforts at the hands of the federal government,
"marijuana has become a pervasive and ineradicable part of the
national economy."

Contrasting government figures for traditional crops -- like corn and
wheat -- against the study's projections for marijuana production,
the report cites marijuana as the top cash crop in 12 states and
among the top three cash crops in 30. The study estimates that
marijuana production, at a value of $35.8 billion, exceeds the
combined value of corn ($23.3 billion) and wheat ($7.5 billion).

The bottom line: Legalize medical marijuana, tax and regulate it just
as alcohol is, punish those who break the law, reap the financial
benefits and ease a ton of suffering.