Pubdate: Tue, 21 Jan 2014
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Copyright: 2014 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Contact: http://www.reviewjournal.com/about/print/press/letterstoeditor.html
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/233

IT'S HIGH TIME

Stop Delaying Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Southern Nevada's local government leaders never tire of pitching
grand visions for their cities, of calling for 21st-century
communities, of embracing change and not looking back. Yet when it
comes to marijuana policy, they've embraced the counterproductive
scare tactics of the 1950s.

Consider that nearly half the states allow medicinal use of marijuana
with a doctor's prescription, with more coming; that a majority of
Americans now favor full legalization of the drug; that citizens of
two states voted to allow recreational use of marijuana; and that in
the past week, both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and
President Barack Obama made statements supporting the
decriminalization of marijuana.

But at local city halls, they're ready to screen anti-drug propaganda
films from generations gone by. This is moving forward?

The Nevada Legislature recognized the political force of this change
in public opinion. Last year, lawmakers finally authorized the
licensing of dispensaries that will sell prescription marijuana
directly to patients. More than a decade ago, Nevada voters approved a
constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana, but legislators
steadfastly refused to create a system that provided patients with
easy access to the drug, making it legal to grow plants but illegal to
buy or sell them. A judge declared that law unconstitutional,
providing politicians with even more cover to create
dispensaries.

Medical marijuana dispensaries are in operation across the country.
Southern Nevada cities aren't breaking new ground in licensing and
regulating such operations. But Las Vegas, Henderson and Mesquite have
approved moratoriums on dispensary applications. They have all kinds
of excuses for doing so, citing concerns with state standards,
dispensary pricing practices and federal laws that criminalize
marijuana in all forms.

Las Vegas City Attorney Brad Jerbic wants no part of drafting a
medical marijuana ordinance, claiming he can't possibly advise his
government to enact policies that break federal law.

That's a red herring. Over the years, local government attorneys have
told their charges to violate all kinds of laws, from denying requests
for obviously public records to writing ordinances that clearly
violate First Amendment protections for free expression and assembly.
City officials have state law and the state constitution on their
side, but they're running scared from medical marijuana because they
don't want to be seen as favoring marijuana use.

We hate to break the news to the authorities, but people are smoking
pot right now - for medicinal and recreational purposes - despite
every city, state and federal law against it. Pot prohibition doesn't
work. It turns users into criminals, fills jails and drives up justice
system costs. And the longer officials wait to bring medical marijuana
into legitimate commerce, the longer they keep it underground.
Americans recognize this policy failure and want it reversed.

Under the new state law, Clark County can have 40 licensed medical
marijuana dispensaries across all jurisdictions. And we're nowhere
close to having even one.

There's no going back to the days of "Reefer Madness," no matter how
much our cities want to. Voters are trying to move forward, but local
government won't let them.  
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