Moratorium for New Medical Marijuana Shops in SC Just Another "Reefer Madness" Ploy

Today's unnecessary and phony expansion of an "emergency" moratorium at Santa Cruz City Council on deep freezing new Medical Marijuana Club applications is just another example of the state-wide push by Prohibitionists to block marijuana use.

In Monterey, Hollister, and Pacific Grove, Drug Warriors are moving to ban dispensaries altogether or stall new applications: http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11854753

Longer stories on the Monterey ban can be found at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n1127/a10.html and http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_14178617?nclick_check=1

The Sand City ban story is archived at http://www.topix.com/forum/city/monterey-ca/TBH7MB6B3656AO39T (see also the comments for some interesting if familiar discussion)

In Los Angeles hysteria runs high: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-medical-marijuana20-2010jan20,0,6270825.story

Other successful prohibitionist initiatives include Yucca City (http://www.hidesertstar.com/articles/2009/01/10/news/doc49684af934799699039318.txt), Gilroy, and reportedly 100+ California cities.

Even local Boulder Creek is under attack: http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/yb/140090287 . The Felton Hemporium has been under the D.A.'s gun for years: http://www.myspace.com/rogersamench

And in Santa Cruz the ill-starred "Smoking Ban" on Pacific Avenue and adjoining streets has no exception for medical marijuana use (though the proposed San Francisco law, in contrast, does).

Pandering to prohibitinist mentality is no way for progressive Santa Cruz to behave. Politicians who do so should be corrected and if necessary recalled.

Today's 4-month ban on medical marijuana applications comes up at City Council at 3 PM.

I discuss the bogus "emergency" law more fully at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/26/18636264.php . Please e-mail or call City Council to oppose the moratorium and allow the one application currently at the Planning Dept. to proceed through the normal hearing process.