DrugSense

The Bakersfield Californian, 09 May 2013 – Monday’s ruling by the California Supreme Court that essentially authorizes cities and counties to decide individually whether they will allow marijuana dispensaries to operate in their jurisdictions makes good sense. Local governments ought to be able to determine whether marijuana dispensaries are a good fit for their particular community standards and, if so, under what circumstances. The question that should influence these local decisions — which would be enforced through zoning restrictions — is whether dispensaries are catering to the needs of patients with valid, diagnosed medical needs or are simply retail outlets for recreational users happy to score their weed as easily as they might buy a pack of cigarettes. Dispensaries certainly often give the outward impression that they cater primarily to the latter group, with locked doors, drawn shades and furtive customer behavior.

Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2013 – Of the Three on the Ballot, Only Measure D Will Put L.A. on the Right Road. It Deserves a Yes Vote. The regulation of medical marijuana in Los Angeles is a mess and has been ever since Proposition 215 was approved by California voters in November 1996. Repeated state and city efforts to bring the chaotic situation under control have had little effect.

San Francisco Examiner, 07 May 2013 – California High Court Says Municipalities Can Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that cities and counties have the right to ban medical marijuana dispensaries within their borders, despite the existence of a state law that protects patients who use the drug.

Chico Enterprise-Record, 08 May 2013 – Cities and Counties Should Have the Right to Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, As the State Supreme Court Affirmed Monday. Marijuana advocates have chalked up victories in places like Colorado and Washington state, but in California – the first state to pass a law allowing medical marijuana use – smaller losses keep piling up since voters approved Proposition 215 nearly 17 years ago.

Washington Post, 07 May 2013 – (AP) – The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that cities and counties can ban medical marijuana dispensaries, a decision likely to further diminish the network of storefront pot shops and fuel efforts to have the state regulate the industry. In a unanimous opinion, the court held that California’s medical marijuana laws – the nation’s first and most liberal – neither prevent local governments from using their land-use powers to zone dispensaries out of existence nor grant authorized users convenient access to the drug.

DrugSense

DrugSense

DrugSense

DrugSense