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.
posted on May 11, 2013 by
