MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEETS GOOD PUBLIC POLICY

As medicines go, marijuana surely is unique.

There is ample evidence that marijuana does offer some relief more
effectively than conventional medications to some patients who suffer
from some serious ailments, including multiple sclerosis, AIDS and
cancer.

But unlike any prescription drug, marijuana has not been tested and
certified safe by any governmental agency. In fact, California
includes marijuana smoke on the official list of substances known to
cause cancer. Medical science has not determined what an appropriate
dosage might be, how it should be administered or how often, or which
strain of marijuana might be best for which symptoms of which illnesses.

It is also illegal to possess, cultivate or sell any amount of
marijuana under federal law, and illegal to possess, cultivate or sell
certain amounts of it under state law.

And, as most law enforcement officers from San Diego to Washington,
D.C., will attest, far more medical marijuana dispensaries operate in
violation of the law and regulations than in compliance with them and
far more consumers simply use the dispensaries as a way to gain legal
access to an illegal drug than for legitimate medical ailments.

Still, medical marijuana was approved by California voters in 1996,
the federal government now essentially takes a hands-off approach here
and in other states that have approved it, and the issue for local
governments is how to deal with the dispensaries that have
proliferated into a serious community problem. Some California cities
and counties have banned dispensaries outright. Some have no
restrictions. And many have adopted regulations and restrictions
falling somewhere in between the extremes.

At San Diego City Hall on Monday, the City Council will consider two
medical marijuana ordinances that are the product of a process begun
in 2009 with the creation of the Medical Marijuana Task Force.

The ordinances would limit the location of dispensaries to certain
industrial and commercial zones, require dispensary applicants to
obtain a special permit, require a background check of all employees,
prohibit dispensaries near schools, playgrounds, libraries, churches,
parks and other dispensaries, regulate hours and security and,
importantly, would prohibit on-site medical consultations. They would
also prohibit dispensaries from operating for profit and require that
all marijuana medications be labeled with the names of the patient,
the dispensary and, if an edible product, the source of the food.

Many medical marijuana advocates are opposing the ordinances, saying
every dispensary in the city would be shuttered.

Indeed, there is no grandfather clause for existing dispensaries and
no grace period for compliance. This editorial page believes that is
not only a good thing, but imperative if the ordinances are to be effective.

These ordinances are tough but good public policy. They recognize
the will of voters, the concerns of neighborhoods and the needs of
those who legitimately need marijuana for what ails them.