POT SHOP FEARS JUST ALL SMOKE

When one doctor recommended I try pot to alleviate chronic pain issues
I have, we were both at a loss. He can't write a prescription for
medical pot. Going to a pharmacy isn't an option.

Plus, I was skeptical ---- I tried recreational pot decades ago, and
it did little for me.

I agreed to give it a go and he wrote a short note on a prescription
slip to recommend "a trial of medical marijuana." That was early July.

I knew there were some medical marijuana dispensaries around as a
result of California's legalization of medical marijuana.

But these operations are under assault by many of our region's
governments; each entity determined to keep dispensaries out of its
jurisdiction, often raising concerns about unsavory clientele, the
potential for abuse and fears of criminal activity.

As Oceanside's Mayor Jim Wood said last month, "some of these
(dispensaries) draw an interesting crowd that's not in the city's interest."

Armed with my Rx slip but little knowledge about the medical pot
process, in late July I headed for the North County Collective in
Oceanside, which has been in the news (and courts) in a business
license spat.

The collective's store front is discreet. Inside is a small, clean
lobby with chairs, a few tables, a bank of surveillance camera
screens, locked doors to other areas and a front desk walled off
behind a security glass barrier.

That doctor's note didn't get me anywhere there, though.

It wasn't the right form, said the woman behind the security glass.
Her manager gave my note a big nyet, too. With security cameras
running, a hefty guard nearby assumed the body language of a nightclub
bouncer and signaled it was time for me to head for the door.

So much for the notion that obtaining medical pot is
easy.

At home on the Internet, I discovered the state's rules and the proper
paperwork required.

I printed out copies of one form and had two of my doctors fill them
out.

Last week, I finally got past the security-glass woman with the
acceptance of the one form I offered, my driver's license and my
signature that I would abide by the collective's rules.

In the next room, a variety of marijuana was available in secured
cases. No rolling papers or any other "drug paraphernalia" was visible
or available. I selected some pot with the help of a collective
staffer, made a modest donation as requested and left.

While I was there, other clients came and went; all well-mannered and
polite. Nothing seemed out of place; no nefarious activity was
apparent inside or outside the building.

The dispensary seemed to be well regulated, and its employees seemed
to be fully informed on all procedures.

The fears some have of pot dispensaries also can be applied to liquor
stores, tobacco shops, strip clubs, "adult stores," pool halls, tattoo
parlors and other businesses.

So why can't cities just deal with pot dispensaries the same way they
do these businesses, and let the ailing get the medical pot they need?

As of this writing, I have not tried pot for my pain. I will do so
once this piece is filed.

Apparently then I will slip into Mayor Wood's "interesting
crowd."

Let the potshots begin.