cannabisnews.com: Disparity Clouding Medical Pot Law 





Disparity Clouding Medical Pot Law 
Posted by CN Staff on February 22, 2004 at 12:45:38 PT
By Jeff McDonald, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
Source: Union Tribune 
Police at Lindbergh Field cited a passenger who volunteered to security guards that he was carrying a small bag of pot, even though the man appeared to meet city-approved medical marijuana guidelines. In the Central Valley farm town of Chowchilla, police defied a judge's order to return nearly a pound of marijuana to a patient who was acquitted of possession charges. Eight months later, the man is still waiting.
San Diego Police Chief Bill Lansdowne told the City Council his officers would not participate in any more federal raids on medical marijuana users. In the tug of war between state and federal drug laws, Lansdowne was siding with California. These cases, and a growing number of others like them, illustrate the huge disparity in the enforcement of Proposition 215, the 1996 initiative allowing sick and dying people to use and grow marijuana. Ignored by some and embraced by others, the law has mired police, prosecutors and other law enforcement agencies in deep conflict. Even some officials of the federal government, which classifies marijuana as a dangerous narcotic with no medicinal value, admit they do not have time to deal with medical pot users. "It's not our job to look for drugs," Transportation Security Administration spokesman Nico Melendez said when asked about the Lindbergh Field passenger. "It's our job to look for prohibited items." Whether small amounts of marijuana are allowed on planes flying within California remains up in the air. Melendez said he would not recommend that passengers carrying the drug notify a screener; his agents are supposed to alert local authorities in such cases. Ron Brownlow of Roseville wanted to be on the level. On his way out of San Diego on Jan. 21, he told screeners he was carrying a quarter-ounce of marijuana he smokes to relieve chronic back pain. Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/disparity.htmSource: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)Author: Jeff McDonald, Union-Tribune Staff WriterPublished: February 22, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.Contact: letters uniontrib.comWebsite: http://www.uniontrib.com/Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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