RX MARIJUANA NOT RIGHT FOR CLAREMONT

It was gratifying to see Claremont recognized as the fifth best city
to live in.

That recognition does not come about from any one action or physical
feature. I think it comes from the work of many council members, city
staff, city volunteers, residents, colleges, schools and businesses
over the last 20 years or more. They had to struggle with difficult
and complex decisions to improve investment in the economic and
social vitality of our community.

As a result, city residents now enjoy the quality of life they expect
in a safe community with many services. We have many trees, parks,
open space, restaurants and business as well as quality colleges and schools.

Putting it together was not an easy task. City councils had to make
many difficult public policy decisions involving spending, zoning,
seeking quality businesses, community services, parks and much more.
There even was a time when the council discouraged locating a
controversial tattoo parlor in the village area, since it was
inconsistent with the quality and health safety of our community.

However, recently in a split decision our City Council has chosen to
damage all the work of past years by directing staff to prepare city
code changes to allow a medical marijuana store in our community.

That decision is not consistent with being one of the top 10 cities
in the nation where people want to raise their children and enjoy a
quality of life.

Our advantages in the eyes of the public can vanish quickly if we
make poor choices.

From what I can gather, the city staff and public safety officials
opposed allowing the marijuana dealer. Many residents thought it was
a no-brainer to keep it out of our city as almost all other cities in
our region have done.

Unfortunately, it seems that some council members thought the absence
of a massive showing against the dealer was a sign of acceptance.
That was a poor assumption, based on what many people have told me.

Residents don't usually come to council meetings when they can
reasonably expect council members to make obvious choices. They were
wrong in this case.

Marijuana is an illegal drug according to the laws of the United
States. Saying that it is for medical use does not change the law.

When City Council members are sworn in, they agree to uphold the
Constitution and laws of both the United States and California.

Rejecting the application for a marijuana dispensary in Claremont is
the correct approach, since it is inconsistent with the law of the
land. We cannot choose which laws we want to obey. In case of doubt
we have a judicial system to solve those problems. The alternative
leads to anarchy.

One complication with marijuana is the passage of Proposition 215 in
California, which allows use of marijuana for medical purposes.
However, it is in conflict with federal law, and opening a medical
marijuana dispensary usually results in a raid and closure by federal
authorities.

The state of California and federal authorities need to resolve the
issue, not the city of Claremont. Council members should not rely on
Proposition 215 to justify their actions.

If they want to support the proposition they should be lobbying the
governor to resolve the conflict with the federal authorities.
Allowing a medical marijuana dealer in Claremont does not help to
resolve the state-federal issue. This is the best argument against
the marijuana dealer in Claremont.

Controlling who can receive the drug is difficult and invites
students and others to find a way around the system to buy pot and
smoke it. Just because marijuana and other illegal drugs may be
available on the street does not justify ignoring the consequences of
having an official marijuana dealer in town.

The compassionate use of smoking marijuana for pain and other
ailments is an emotional issue with some people. However, it is not a
drug that has passed scrutiny by the Federal Drug Administration in
controlled trials.

There are anecdotal stories of the benefits, but that does not
substitute for good drug science. We do know that smoking marijuana
is a gateway for young and old people to enter the horrors of
cocaine, methamphetamines and other socially and physically degrading
hard drugs.

Medical marijuana is an illegal drug according to federal law. The
Claremont City Council is not the rule-making body for the United States.

If there is a wish to provide the possible benefits of smoking
marijuana by people with certain illnesses under Proposition 215,
then the council needs to lobby the governor and state agencies to
resolve the conflict with federal law.

Allowing a marijuana dispensary cheapens our "brand" as a high
quality and family oriented place to live and will move us from No. 5
to just another small city.

I encourage the Claremont City Council to re-evaluate its decision to
allow a medical marijuana store in Claremont.

Although compassion for people with pain and other illness is valid,
selling marijuana is still illegal. The council members need to
uphold the law and direct the staff to stop preparing the enabling
zoning and other documentation that would allow such a dispensary.