Pubdate: Tue, 07 May 2013
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2013 The New York Times Company
Contact: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Ian Lovett

California

COURT UPHOLDS BAN ON MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

The California Supreme Court on Monday upheld the right of local 
governments to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. As dispensaries 
have proliferated since 1996, when California became the first state 
to allow medical marijuana, many municipalities across the state have 
used zoning laws to prohibits dispensaries from opening inside city 
limits. Patients and dispensary owners have argued that these local 
laws violate the state medical marijuana statutes by reducing 
patients' access to the drug. But the court unanimously upheld a ban 
in the City of Riverside, paving the way for more municipalities to 
prohibit marijuana dispensaries.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom