Pubdate: Sat, 20 Dec 2008
Source: Californian, The (Escondido, CA)
Copyright: 2008 North County Times - Lee Enterprises
Contact:  http://www.nctimes.com/news/californian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4551
Author: Tami Scarcella

WE'RE NOT LIVING UP TO OUR IMAGE

How can it be that Temecula and Murrieta, cities that pride 
themselves in forming the "Bible belt of Riverside County," allow 
businesses to promote the use of marijuana and other illegal drugs?

I wrote a letter several weeks ago about how Temecula recently issued 
a business license to IECannabisConsultants.com, a Temecula-based 
company on Commerce Center Drive that sells marijuana for "medical 
use." After checking around more thoroughly, I've since discovered 
several drug paraphernalia supply stories in our communities, 
including four along Jefferson Avenue between Overland Drive and 
Murrieta Hot Springs Road. There are more "head shops" in this area 
than there are McDonald's.

With rents running about $4,000 for every 2,000 square feet of 
commercial space in these cities, these stores surely must be selling 
a lot of fancy pipes, bongs, Zig-Zags, scales and horticultural lamps 
to stay in business. Some of these shops call themselves "tobacco" 
stores, yet their wares include all sorts of paraphernalia designed 
to either promote or conceal the use of illegal drugs, including 
miniature scales that are camouflaged to look like iPods. Thanks to 
their pro-pot-smoking business policies, it won't be long before 
people start mocking Temecula and Murrieta as "the cannabis belt of 
Riverside County."

Tami Scarcella

Murrieta
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom