Should federal authorities be able to close medical marijuana dispensaries in California? >
Don't Punish the Medical Marijuana Patients
California, Colorado laws offer a safe way for the sick to receive needed medicine
October 26, 2011
About Brian Vicente:
Brian Vicente, Esq., serves as executive director of Sensible Colorado, a leading non-profit working for medical marijuana patients and providers. Brian is a founding member of Vicente Sederberg, LLC, a law firm providing legal solutions for the medical marijuana community. He serves on numerous government panels overseeing Colorado's drug laws.
Should sick patients be forced to buy medicine on the streets? Any civilized person would, of course, answer this question with a resounding "no." Unfortunately, this outcome is precisely what the federal government's policy of shuttering medical marijuana dispensaries will lead to. Every year, thousands of doctors recommend medical marijuana as a legitimate and safe medical option for hundreds of thousands of citizens suffering from a wide range of conditions. These medical marijuana patients, whether veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder or average citizens suffering with chronic pain, deserve access to this doctor-recommended medicine from a safe, regulated storefront--not a dark alleyway.
In the face of science and popular support, the federal government maintains its archaic "Drug War" stance that medical marijuana is a "Schedule I" controlled substance with zero medical value. Recognizing that the health and welfare of its citizens should be of primary concern, 16 states and Washington, D.C., have passed laws allowing suffering patients to use marijuana for medical purposes within their state borders. States like California and Colorado have established medical marijuana access programs, overseen by state or local governments, which have produced jobs, generated millions in new tax revenue—helping to literally "keep the lights on" in cities like Colorado Springs—and, most importantly, allowed qualifying patients to access this medicine in a safe and regulated fashion.
The federal government has no place in restricting a healthcare alternative, especially one with minimal overdose or addiction potential like medical marijuana, in a state that has authorized this option. Shutting down dispensaries in California will only hurt patients by cutting off their safe access to this valuable medicine.
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- Other Arguments
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#21655120
No — Shutting down dispensaries sends patients into the illicit market
KRIS HERMES, Media Spokesperson for Americans for Safe Access
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#31623110
No — State has right to experiment; federal government has more important things to do
MORGAN FOX, Communications Manager at the Marijuana Policy Project
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#41625120
No — Feds should back off, leave state laws to state governments
PAUL ARMENTANO, Deputy Director of NORML
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#52161662
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
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#61601684
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
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#71621696
Yes — Marijuana dispensaries have increased incidents of drug use and crime
JOHN REDMAN, Executive Director of Californians for Drug Free Youth
Reader Comments Read all comments (10)
Bill of MA 4:54PM April 29, 2012
Mile Hi Dave of CO 3:19PM November 22, 2011
Ed Bland of MT 11:58AM October 31, 2011