JUST SAY NO TO A MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY IN SOUTH COUNTY

Dear Editor,

As I was reading from your paper about a marijuana dispensary that may
open in Gilroy by two Morgan Hill men, I recalled a story I saw in
2007 in the San Diego Union Tribune.

It related the events surrounding two students who showed up on an El
Cajon campus high on marijuana. When questioned, they produced a
medical marijuana recommendation from a Mission Valley clinic,
claiming their drug use was permitted.

The students were suspended and the district sent a letter to parents
reminding them that marijuana is prohibited on any school campus,
doctor's note or not.

The incident got the attention of the chief of the narcotics division
of the San Diego County District Attorney's office, who said he's been
frustrated that he is powerless to prosecute doctors who might be
signing off on marijuana use for anyone willing to pay.

The 1996 passage of state Proposition 215 allows the use of medical
marijuana, and a subsequent federal court ruling prohibits prosecution
of a doctor for recommending medical marijuana.

The state medical board does not investigate physicians who recommend
marijuana as long as they examine the patient, develop a treatment
plan, periodically consult with the patient, and keep proper records.
A parent must provide consent if marijuana is recommended for a minor.
In the El Cajon case, one student was 18 and did not need parental
consent and the other had visited the clinic with his mother.

It was unclear whether either student had a medical condition that
warranted a recommendation from a doctor.

The district attorney also said that a December 2005 federal raid of
marijuana dispensaries in this area showed that most patients who got
medical marijuana recommendations were younger than 30, and most
patients said they suffered from anxiety, insomnia or depression. Very
few received marijuana for cancer, glaucoma or AIDS.

Could the minors get their hands on the supposed medical use only
materials? Would our school district need to send out the same note
that El Cajon high school did? With limited resource in city
government and the school district, is this the right time? I am
hoping the local policy makers take all aspect of this issue into
consideration to reach a sound decision.

Hedy Chang, Morgan Hill