WEIGH THE PROS AND CONS OF POT DISPENSARIES IN NAPA

On Tuesday, June 1, the Napa City Council will vote on a proposed
ordinance to allow two medical marijuana dispensaries in the city of
Napa. The citizens of Napa should have all of the information they
need in order to weigh the pros and cons of having dispensaries in
their town.

For example, the California Police Chiefs Association, in their White
Paper on Marijuana Dispensaries in April 2009, concluded after a
multi-year study of dispensaries across California that: "Marijuana
dispensaries are commonly large money-making enterprises that will
sell marijuana to most anyone who produces a physician's written
recommendation for its medical use. These recommendations can be had
by paying unscrupulous physicians a fee and claiming to have most
any malady, even headaches. While the dispensaries will claim to
receive only donations, no marijuana will change hands without an
exchange of money. These operations have been tied to organized
criminal gangs, foster large grow operations, and are often
multimillion-dollar profit centers. Because they are repositories of
valuable marijuana crops and large amounts of cash, several operators
of dispensaries have been attacked and murdered by armed robbers both
at their storefronts and homes, and s! uch places have been
regularly burglarized. Drug dealing, sales to minors, loitering,
heavy vehicle and foot traffic in retail areas, increased noise, and
robberies of customers just outside dispensaries are also common
ancillary byproducts of their operations."

The Yountville Planning Commission cited this White Paper in its
recently passed ordinance to ban medical marijuana dispensaries.
American Canyon has also established an ordinance that bans any
business that does not meet state and federal laws, effectively
banning medical marijuana dispensaries which are illegal according to
federal law.

This is not to say that seriously ill patients who have a valid
recommendation from a legitimate physician should not be allowed
access to medical marijuana. They should according to the law in
California. There are dozens of dispensaries in close proximity to
Napa, and for those patients too sick to drive to the dispensaries,
some of them will deliver.

It's not too late for Napa residents to reconsider the proposed plan
to allow dispensaries. If you feel like the possible drawbacks of
increased crime, drug dealing, sales to minors, loitering, noise and
more traffic outweigh the benefits, then write, e-mail or call your
City Council members today and go to the meeting on Tuesday, June 1,
at 6:30 p.m., at city hall, and express your opinion.

Lisa Toller

(Toller lives in St. Helena.)