'MEDICAL' POT CRACKDOWN: WELCOME PROGRESS

The efforts of U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy to crack down on medical
marijuana dispensaries in San Diego County appear to be working.

Through the end of last week, 139 of the 222 dispensaries in the
county have closed their doors in response to letters sent to the
outlets and their landlords threatening prosecution and property
seizure, federal officials have said. And 20 more are expected to
close in the next two weeks.

That is to be commended.

The dispensaries, which mushroomed after California legalized
marijuana use for medical purposes 15 years ago, sell the vast
majority of their product to recreational drug users skirting the law
rather than to patients who might legitimately receive medicinal
benefits. They remain illegal under federal law. And, in San Diego,
they all violate zoning laws which is why we also support City
Attorney Jan Goldsmith's efforts in civil court to shut them down.

We are given pause, however, by the thoughts of Alex Kreit, who
headed the city's now-disbanded task force on medical marijuana.
Kreit, a professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, told the
U-T that the outlets still operating after receiving the warning
letters are probably assuming there will be few actual prosecutions
and are willing to take their chances flouting the law.

If he is correct, the U.S. attorney must not allow her threats to be
shown hollow.