MARIJUANA ARGUMENTS SOMETIMES ABSURD

I want to thank the Chico City Council for its valiant efforts to
implement some kind of ordinance to regulate the growing and
distribution of medical cannabis. However, I believe they would be
serving their community better if they would drop the "let's err on
the side of caution" attitude and replace it with one that goes more
like "let's err on the side of compassion."

At Tuesday's meeting but there were 24 speakers in front of me (not to
mention a large number of prominent cops, who I know are upset with me
for going public with the fact that their recent dispensary raids were
based on a statement of probable cause which shows, in their own
handwriting, that we were in fact doing everything humanly possible to
prevent fraud and abuse). Thank God we have on the council someone
like councilman Andy Holcombe who was able to point out some of the
many absurdities in the way this ordinance, like so many others
statewide, attempts to treat cannabis outlets so differently than
pharmacies and liquor stores.

He asked: "Why force patients to drive to the far corners of town to
get their medicine, and then force them to drive somewhere else to get
their necessary paraphernalia? Why can't a dispensary buy and sell
just like any other business?"

Why are we suppressing an industry we should be embracing?

Please help stop the 'cannabis is evil" myth.

Robert Galia, Chico