WAKE UP AND SMELL THE SMOKE

WE asked for a moratorium on pot clubs in unincorporated areas of the
county and the Board of Supervisors obliged, calling for a delay in
siting any medical-marijuana dispensaries until regulations can be drawn up.

However, that may not affect one proposed for Hacienda Heights less
than a mile from two schools, two parks and a county library all
magnets for young people.

And the so-called cannabis distributors have drawn more than the
medically needy according to law-enforcement reports out of Northern
California.

So yes, the supervisors deserve praise for their action last Tuesday
that delayed any new clubs for 45 days. With a medical-marijuana case
before the U.S. Supreme Court that could be decided as early as
today, they were prudent in blocking any new clubs.

Supervisor Don Knabe, who represents the community, agreed with our
assessment that if the state and physicians feel the drug is
preferable to other prescription pain killers and medications,
marijuana should be dispensed at the usual location pharmacies. As
Knabe said, that would occur in a "perfect' world.

But that doesn't get the county supervisors, planners and, yes,
Sheriff Lee Baca off the hook for the fiasco that could see a club
open in the San Gabriel Valley. Surely these officials initially gave
the OK to California Medical Caregivers Association. This isn't a
tent-on-the-corner type of operation.

And, there seems to be some question as to whether the distributor is
open. CMCA's representative says it is and is registering clients
that must have a doctor's recommendation to purchase marijuana.

Knabe seems to think that the facility has yet to open for business.
Who's correct? If county officials don't know, they should, and if
the organization opened earlier than planned to avoid the moratorium,
the county ought to yank its conditional use permit.

According to Wednesday's story by Shirley Hsu, another dispensary is
planned for Rowland Heights another unincorporated bedroom community.

This is just one more reason why both communities should become
cities. That way residents would have to wait for the county to
spring such little surprises on them.

If both Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights were cities, such
decisions would be made by local authorities, accountable to the
voters. Folks should wake up and smell the smoke, there are some
things worse than the specter of taxes.