COALITION DISCUSSES WAYS TO FIGHT MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

ONTARIO - Fighting back against marijuana dispensaries was the topic
of discussion at the Coalition for a Drug Free California's daylong
planning conference on Friday.

More than 20 community leaders, elected officials and law enforcement
officials met at the Ayres Hotel to discuss the reality of shutting
down or stopping dispensaries, co-ops, collectives from opening.

Attorney Martin Mayer said it will be a difficult battle because
those in favor of medical marijuana always have people in attendance
when the issue is being discussed in meetings or in the court.

"I don't think you can organize the way your opposition is
organizing, I haven't seen it," said Mayer, who serves as legal
counsel to sheriffs and chiefs of police in 70 law enforcement
agencies throughout the state.

More than 12 years ago, when the Assembly passed Proposition 215,
which allowed possession or cultivation of marijuana for medical
purposes, there were a lot of proponents financially backing it up, Mayer said.

In order to fight it, opponents of medical marijuana dispensaries
such as the coalition would have to fund a new proposition, which is
not financially feasible at this time, he said.

Another battle facing the organization, he said, is the law.

"Many times we wind up in court and we lose," he said.

The city of Claremont, however, was successful in temporarily
stopping a dispensary by implementing a moratorium on those
businesses, he said.

The court recently upheld the city's decision because Claremont was
using zoning laws to implement the moratorium, Mayer said.

California Code 37100 which, Mayer described as the "silver bullet,"
states that only businesses that are in compliance with state and
federal law are permitted.

"Stop fighting the fight, focus on the law. It's illegal and we need
to be able to deal with it from that perspective," Mayer said.

The only other way to change the law, he said is if Congress voted to
change marijuana into a prescription drug.

"But they won't do it," he said.

Friday's conference was a partnership between the local and statewide
group and the Inland Valley Drug Free coalition, said Paul Chabot,
director of the statewide group.

The statewide group was formed only four months ago to bring together
all anti-drug coalitions to work together to fight back, Paul said.

Their focus is not only on the marijuana dispensaries but also
alcohol abuse and illegal prescription use of teens, which is over
taking the use of marijuana, he said.

The Inland Valley group was created four years, but this is the first
time they are holding a conference, said Brenda Chabot, director of
the local organization.

"Our main goal is to help kids get off drugs," Brenda said.