San Diego Mayor Bob Filner took the unusual step this week of injecting
himself into a federal criminal prosecution, encouraging jurors to find
the former owner of medical marijuana dispensaries not guilty of drug
charges if they believe prosecuting such cases is unjust.
Filner, a supporter of medical marijuana use who wants the city to adopt
regulations allowing outlets to provide the drug, spoke at a news
conference Monday outside the federal court following a hearing in the
case prosecutors have brought against Ronnie Chang.
Chang faces 60 charges, including conspiracy to manufacture and
distribute marijuana and money laundering, stemming from two medical
marijuana dispensaries he owned in San Marcos and Wildomar.
He has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have argued his prosecution is
unjust because Chang was complying fully with California law, which
allows medicinal use of marijuana. They
