San Diego Mayor Quickly Turns Back On Medical Cannabis Community
Barely over two weeks ago San Diego mayor Bob Filner made national headlines, and caught the praise of cannabis reform advocates across the nation, when he ordered an end to the attacks on safe access points within the city.
It turns out, the first-term mayor was either blowing hot air out of his ass, or quickly fell to political or monetary pressure.
The mayor has quickly backed down on this promise, and took part in a joint statement with the city attorney and city council president, telling individuals not to open medical cannabis dispensaries. This statements comes around the same time as the city’s council voted unanimously to continue civil actions against access points in the city.
The council will be considering an emergency ordinance which is closely aligned with a restrictive law that activists helped repeal in 2011.
Even if the council was to support a better measure, the U.S. Attorney for the area, Laura Duffy, has made it clear that she’ll continue to attack access points:
It would be a mistake to interpret my comments as a softening of our position. I have made it clear many times that under federal law, marijuana is illegal, period…We have targeted and will continue to target individuals and entities making retail sales of marijuana for profit because they are the source of the community ills, such as high-volume sales to minors and the increase in crime in adjacent neighborhoods, that led to citizen complaints and compelled law enforcement action.
Her statement, of course, has no merit in reality. Recent studies have shown that states that have legalized medical cannabis have seen a reduction in youth usage rates, as well as a reduction in crime rates. Not to mention a reduction in suicides and traffic fatalities.
San Diego officials and U.S. Attorney Duffy; wake up.
– TheJointBlog