cannabisnews.com: Don't Blame MMJ Troubles On Its Advocates!





Don't Blame MMJ Troubles On Its Advocates!
Posted by FoM on July 23, 1999 at 20:34:42 PT
Letter To The Editor
Source: San Francisco Examiner 
Your editorial about Proposition 215 ( "Fixing compassion," July 19) unfairly libels medical marijuana buyers' clubs as unscrupulous pushers and thugs. Whatever their faults, the clubs have served as the only recourse for thousands of suffering patients unjustly victimized by the government's continued ban on medical marijuana. 
To be sure, there have been abuses. Most notably, Dennis Peron's San Francisco Cannabis Buyers' Club was closed due to lax admission procedures despite the fact that an audit by independent researchers found that 90 percent of the club's members were seriously ill patients. Virtually all other leading clubs in the state have worked conscientiously to institute careful validation procedures, in cooperation with local government wherever possible. While dozens of self-declared medical providers have been arrested for alleged marijuana offenses, none could be categorized as "drug pushers" in the same league as the corporate drug dealers who routinely advertise, promote and mass-market their wares through the media. Nor could any remotely be categorized as "thugs" (certainly not Peron, whose club was a haven for safe and peaceable marijuana use). For thuggery, one should look to the many rogue drug cops who have continued to arrest and persecute patients in flagrant disregard of Prop. 215. It is to be hoped that abuses of this sort will be curbed by state Sen. John Vasconcellos' and Attorney General Bill Lockyer's legislation. An even more effective solution would be to simply legalize adult use of marijuana. Although you are right to note that this is opposed by most Californians, it has been explicitly endorsed by the voters of San Francisco and Berkeley. Dale H. Gieringer Berkeley The editorial "Fixing compassion" is woefully uninformed. It unwittingly excuses the ongoing two-year police rampage against "medical marijuana" in California. Your characterization of even some of those running the original buyers' clubs as "unscrupulous entrepreneurs and promoters of legalized marijuana (who) used the law for their own purposes" buys into the dishonesty that justified their wholesale prosecution. The thriving criminal marijuana market in California never needed medical buyers' clubs to reach its customers. Two Orange County medical distributors were railroaded into state prison and are now serving terms that can only be described as savage. Open judicial and prosecutorial contempt for the concept of medical marijuana was reported at both trials. Until now your reporting on this issue has been fair. Don't be misled into supporting the notion that most police opposition to medical marijuana around the state is motivated by anything but a desire to retain the power to arrest.Tom O'Connell, M.D. San Mateo LETTERS TO THE EDITORJuly 23, 1999 ©1999 San Francisco Examiner Fixing Compassion - 7/19/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2121.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 24, 1999 at 05:42:57 PT:
Don't Blame MMJ Troubles On Its Advocates!
Pubdate: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA) Copyright: 1999 San Francisco Examiner Contact: letters examiner.com Website: http://www.examiner.com/ Forum: http://examiner.com/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/cnews/WebX Author: Dale H. Gieringer Your editorial about Proposition 215 ("Fixing compassion," July 19) unfairly libels medical marijuana buyers' clubs as unscrupulous pushers and thugs. Whatever their faults, the clubs have served as the only recourse for thousands of suffering patients unjustly victimized by the government's continued ban on medical marijuana. To be sure, there have been abuses. Most notably, Dennis Peron's San Francisco Cannabis Buyers' Club was closed due to lax admission procedures despite the fact that an audit by independent researchers found that 90 percent of the club's members were seriously ill patients. Virtually all other leading clubs in the state have worked conscientiously to institute careful validation procedures, in cooperation with local government wherever possible. While dozens of self-declared medical providers have been arrested for alleged marijuana offenses, none could be categorized as "drug pushers" in the same league as the corporate drug dealers who routinely advertise, promote and mass-market their wares through the media. Nor could any remotely be categorized as "thugs" (certainly not Peron, whose club was a haven for safe and peaceable marijuana use). For thuggery, one should look to the many rogue drug cops who have continued to arrest and persecute patients in flagrant disregard of Prop. 215. It is to be hoped that abuses of this sort will be curbed by state Sen. John Vasconcellos' and Attorney General Bill Lockyer's legislation. An even more effective solution would be to simply legalize adult use of marijuana. Although you are right to note that this is opposed by most Californians, it has been explicitly endorsed by the voters of San Francisco and Berkeley. Dale H. GieringerBerkeleyFixing Compassion - 7/19/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2121.shtml
Don't Blame MMJ Troubles On Its Advocates!
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: