Pubdate: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 Source: Sacramento Bee (CA) Copyright: 2010 The Sacramento Bee Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/0n4cG7L1 Website: http://www.sacbee.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376 Author: Richard Ruiz WHY NO FEES ON PHARMACIES? Re "City sets new pot shop fees" (Our Region, Nov. 10): If the Sacramento City Council can impose fees of $40,000-plus initially and $12,600 annually on facilities dispensing medicine as harmless as cannabis, it stands to reason that equal protection under the law would dictate that every pharmacy dispensing opiates i.e Vicodin, morphine, etc. which are far more dangerous than cannabis, should also be required to pay fees of comparable if not greater value based on the greater danger to society the abuse of opiates presents. No one has ever died from consuming cannabis; the same cannot be said for opiates. Richard Ruiz, Rocklin - --- MAP posted-by: Matt