While the looming specter of a moratorium may have vanished, the tug-of-war over marijuana production and whether impacts of the newly created industry warrant a new regimen of local land-use rules remains anything but resolved.

In a 3-0 decision, the San Juan County Council voted without dissent Jan. 12 to disengage from its pursuit of a would-be moratorium that by design targeted the processing of permits for marijuana-related production facilities. By default, however, that same moratorium may have also applied to the construction of any type of greenhouse, regardless of whatever crop it was intended to house, from tomatoes to basil, to bok choy.

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Efforts are underway to clarify and strengthen the state's 1998 medical marijuana law. This is a good thing, long overdue. But we ought not to forget why Washington, along with 15 other states, moved to legitimate the use of cannabis as medicine in the first place. And why 10 additional states are poised to do the same.

We all know someone who has struggled with intractable pain, or faced a terminal illness. Many of these patients cannot tolerate conventional "painkillers." They live narcotized lives, suffering a wide variety of side effects: itchiness, constipation, sleeplessness, waking up to drug hangovers, around-the-clock grogginess, overall impairment. Even when conventional narcotics relieve pain, many patients are concerned about becoming habituated or addicted to them.

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The drug problem in San Juan County continues to escalate, said San Juan County Undersheriff Jon Zerby, claiming that the guilty party is methamphetamines.

"It all goes back to 'meth,'" Zerby said. "It ruins people's lives. Their jobs and their families' lives are all in the toilet because of it."

Zerby contended that 'meth' is at the root of many of the crimes now being committed in San Juan County, including identity thefts, burglaries, break-ins and those involving violence.

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