Archive for October, 2009
Mike Hughes
High Times
Now that the federal government is no longer prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers who are in compliance with state law, the regulation of legal pot falls to local government. According to the New York Times, there are two schools of thought on how state and local governments will react to this new role.
First, the glass half full view:
“Some health and legal experts say the Justice Department’s decision will promote the spread of marijuana for medical uses because local and state officials often take leadership cues from federal policy. That … could lead to more liberal rules in states that already have medical marijuana and to more voters and legislators in other states becoming comfortable with the idea of allowing it.”
And half empty:
“Scores of local governments in California, Colorado and other states have gone the other way and imposed bans or moratoriums on distribution even though state law allows it.”
So, we’ll either have a utopia of dispensary-speckled landscapes stretching from coast to coast leading to each state deciding to legalize marijuana outright, or we’ll have excessively restrictive ordinances created by petrified local councils acting in opposition to the will of the voters. Or something in between. …nytimes.com
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