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News (Media Awareness Project) - US AZ: OPED: NO: Storefronts For Dope Dealers A Prescription For
Title:US AZ: OPED: NO: Storefronts For Dope Dealers A Prescription For
Published On:2010-09-30
Source:Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ)
Fetched On:2010-10-06 15:51:15
NO: STOREFRONTS FOR DOPE DEALERS A PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER

This guest opinion was written by Barbara LaWall, Pima County
attorney:

What specific, documented evidence exists that crime actually
increased as a result of medical marijuana dispensaries?

Mix a lot of cash with a lot of drugs, add in guns and no regulatory
controls, and you have a prescription for crime and disaster.
According to the California Chiefs of Police Association, marijuana
dispensaries are magnets for crime and criminals.

Los Angeles Police Department Detective Dennis Parker states the Los
Angeles Police Department has experienced a 200 percent increase in
robberies, 52.2 percent increase in burglaries, 57 percent increase in
aggravated assaults and 130.8 percent increase in auto burglaries near
cannabis clubs.

San Francisco police reported increased crime in 2006-2007, related to
marijuana dispensaries, including: 3 homicides, 2 attempted homicides,
6 possession of loaded firearms,198 burglaries, 57 robberies, 27
attempted robberies, 98 aggravated assaults, 144 incidents of battery.

In January 2007, the Drug Enforcement Administration executed search
warrants on 17 dispensary owners in Los Angeles. Fourteen had prior
criminal records, seven had prior weapons charges. Eight had prior
drug charges, and two had murder/attempted-murder charges.

Crime-related issues with medical marijuana are so prevalent in
California that Cal Chiefs, in conjunction with the California
Sheriff's, Narcotics Officers and District Attorney's associations, as
well as the California Highway Patrol, formed a Medical Marijuana
Dispensary Task Force to combat them.

They have posted numerous reports and white papers regarding medical
marijuana and reported crime associated with marijuana dispensaries on
their web page at
www.californiapolicechiefs.org/nav_files/marijuana_files/TaskForce.html

Why should patients whose doctors believe medical marijuana would
provide respite (from pain, nausea and other symptoms) be
criminalized?

If marijuana is considered "medicine" then patients should have to get
it the same way they get other medicines - with medical prescriptions
from physicians.

Prop. 203 purports to provide "medicine" for sick patients. However,
its primary effect will be to establish a system where drug seekers,
including addicts, can easily obtain recreational drugs and where
commercial marijuana dispensaries will become storefronts for dope
dealers.

Prop. 203 is bad medicine for Arizona.
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