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Should federal authorities be able to close medical marijuana dispensaries in California? >

California's Kids Need to Be Protected

Marijuana dispensaries have increased incidents of drug use and crime

October 26, 2011

About John Redman:

John Redman is the executive director of Californians for Drug Free Youth (CADFY), Inc; a statewide Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) prevention organization. Before joining CADFY, he was the Executive Director of the San Diego Prevention Coalition, a countywide ATOD prevention organization.

Speaking as a leader of the oldest statewide drug prevention coalition in California, the U.S. attorney action could not have come soon enough. California leads the nation in abuse of the "Compassionate Use Act," which law enforcement now mockingly refers to as the "Commercial Use Act." Thousands of so-called dispensaries--nothing more than marijuana storefronts--have popped up in the past 10 years, raking in a fortune's worth of profits and supplying more marijuana than our chronically ill population could ever consume.

We have seen that dispensaries have increased drug use and crime, and they are linked to numerous robberies, muggings, and murders. So it is high time that they be shut down.

[Read about a recent Gallup poll about legalizing marijuana.]

When California was having its debate about medical marijuana in 1996, preventionists had warned of the wrong message such a policy would send. Indeed, in the intervening years, drug use has risen (research is now emerging that directly links medical marijuana states with higher levels of drug use), and now more young people enter treatment for their marijuana use than for all drugs (including alcohol) combined. They now think that marijuana is "medicine"–-how bad can it be for you? Dispensaries, many of which market their wares around high schools and parks, have no doubt contributed to these higher use levels.

We in California are taking a second look at this whole issue. Now numerous towns and counties are banning dispensaries outright, and the owners of dispensaries are being called out for the millions of dollars in profits many of them have been making. For those working on the front line of this issue with California's kids, the enforcement actions by our U.S. attorneys are certainly welcomed.

Tags:
California,
marijuana
Other Arguments
#1
#2

No — Shutting down dispensaries sends patients into the illicit market

KRIS HERMES, Media Spokesperson for Americans for Safe Access

#3

No — State has right to experiment; federal government has more important things to do

MORGAN FOX, Communications Manager at the Marijuana Policy Project

#4
#5

Yes — The FDA, not popular opinion, tests and approves medicines

KEVIN SABET, Former Senior Adviser for Policy to White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director

#6

Yes — System makes criminals money, makes highways unsafe, and doesn't make the sick any better

PETER BENSINGER, Former Administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Reader Comments Read all comments (43)

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"THE CHILDREN"

If they really cared for the children they'd legalize and regulate marijuana. If they really wanted to keep any substance out of the hands of "The Children" they first must take control of distribution away from black market dealers. They haven't accomplished that in 40+ years at a taxpayers cost in the hundreds of billions. It's time to treat marijuana as we do alcohol. My 27 year old daughter still gets carded when she buys alcohol, yet your 13 year old can buy anything the black market dealer has for a price whether it be money or "something else".

Prohibitionists, your path to hell may be paved with good intentions, but hell is your final destination, none the less.

LEAP member, NYPD, ret.

Mike Parent of NH 9:08AM April 13, 2012

I think there is still some degree of interface between the newly-regulated markets and the illicit market. Any reasonable and honest person has to accept that as very near-fact. And this is why we have regulators at the state level that monitor this industry.

Recently there was a Medical Marijuana Center in our state of Colorado that was taken down for selling outside of the legal market and for selling other controlled substances. No honest operators complained, there was no outrage, no lawyers or activists storming the courthouse.

It was dealt with by the regulators precisely in the way that our lawmakers envisioned. They simply shut them down. State regulators were able to do this because they were given the specific authority to regulate.

If there are bad actors in California's medical marijuana industry and state or local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to deal with the problem, then yes, the DOJ should be able to close them down.

California needs to fix this from the top and build a regulatory framework around their industry. Until they do, it will continue to be chaos.

Holmes of CO 3:53PM November 22, 2011

john redman is a idiot, i lost two friends in a restaurant. murdered by a drunk fighting with his wife. but i never seen any muggers,at any dispensaries. I am 50 years old and a father of 8 and grandfather of 9. I would fell more comfortable if my kids got weed at the dispensaries, than a drug dealer on the street where they can be shoot. john redman you are a idiot..

mark mctyre of CO 7:49PM November 02, 2011

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