Pubdate: Sun, 21 Nov 2010 Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA) Copyright: 2010 Chico Enterprise-Record Contact: http://www.chicoer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861 Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n949/a02.html Author: Robert Galia MARIJUANA ARGUMENTS SOMETIMES ABSURD I want to thank the Chico City Council for its valiant efforts to implement some kind of ordinance to regulate the growing and distribution of medical cannabis. However, I believe they would be serving their community better if they would drop the "let's err on the side of caution" attitude and replace it with one that goes more like "let's err on the side of compassion." At Tuesday's meeting but there were 24 speakers in front of me (not to mention a large number of prominent cops, who I know are upset with me for going public with the fact that their recent dispensary raids were based on a statement of probable cause which shows, in their own handwriting, that we were in fact doing everything humanly possible to prevent fraud and abuse). Thank God we have on the council someone like councilman Andy Holcombe who was able to point out some of the many absurdities in the way this ordinance, like so many others statewide, attempts to treat cannabis outlets so differently than pharmacies and liquor stores. He asked: "Why force patients to drive to the far corners of town to get their medicine, and then force them to drive somewhere else to get their necessary paraphernalia? Why can't a dispensary buy and sell just like any other business?" Why are we suppressing an industry we should be embracing? Please help stop the 'cannabis is evil" myth. Robert Galia, Chico - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake