Spliff Twister
New Member
Recent attacks on medical marijuana dispensaries are abusive to more than the patients and caregivers who rely on their services. The authoritarian override of Proposition 215 is an affront to voters and a threat to our democracy.
The comments attributed to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis in Jeff McDonald's July 7 article are telling ( "15 held in raids on pot stores," Local ). According to the article, "Dumanis said her office decided not to target legitimate medical marijuana patients." Does she also decide not to target people who drive within the speed limit, or who take legal prescription medicines?
That Dumanis believes her office has a choice about whether to harass law-abiding citizens shows that she misunderstands the limits of the power of her position. She seems to have joined the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in misinterpreting a duty to uphold the law as an opportunity to create the law.
The same article mentioned the ages of patients, as well as the percentage of patients suffering from "AIDS, glaucoma or cancer." I wasn't aware that one's age determined the effectiveness of medical marijuana, or that the District Attorney's Office was qualified to assess -- better than a licensed physician -- which ailments might be effectively treated by medical marijuana.
Dumanis is also quoted as saying that "Proposition 215 is being seriously abused," and "It's just really gotten out of hand. . . . Those of us in law enforcement have tolerated it for too long." I would like to reply to Dumanis that San Diego County's abuse of medical marijuana patients, their caregivers and -- most important -- the voters who believe that patients should have access to the medicine of their choice has gone on for too long and should not be tolerated. Dumanis' authoritarian abuses of her office are the true crime in this situation.
Newshawk: Happykid - 420Times.com
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Pubdate: Thu, 03 Aug 2006
Author: Jennifer Whitmont
Copyright: 2006 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact: letters@uniontrib.com
Website: The San Diego Union-Tribune - San Diego, California & National News
The comments attributed to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis in Jeff McDonald's July 7 article are telling ( "15 held in raids on pot stores," Local ). According to the article, "Dumanis said her office decided not to target legitimate medical marijuana patients." Does she also decide not to target people who drive within the speed limit, or who take legal prescription medicines?
That Dumanis believes her office has a choice about whether to harass law-abiding citizens shows that she misunderstands the limits of the power of her position. She seems to have joined the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in misinterpreting a duty to uphold the law as an opportunity to create the law.
The same article mentioned the ages of patients, as well as the percentage of patients suffering from "AIDS, glaucoma or cancer." I wasn't aware that one's age determined the effectiveness of medical marijuana, or that the District Attorney's Office was qualified to assess -- better than a licensed physician -- which ailments might be effectively treated by medical marijuana.
Dumanis is also quoted as saying that "Proposition 215 is being seriously abused," and "It's just really gotten out of hand. . . . Those of us in law enforcement have tolerated it for too long." I would like to reply to Dumanis that San Diego County's abuse of medical marijuana patients, their caregivers and -- most important -- the voters who believe that patients should have access to the medicine of their choice has gone on for too long and should not be tolerated. Dumanis' authoritarian abuses of her office are the true crime in this situation.
Newshawk: Happykid - 420Times.com
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Pubdate: Thu, 03 Aug 2006
Author: Jennifer Whitmont
Copyright: 2006 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact: letters@uniontrib.com
Website: The San Diego Union-Tribune - San Diego, California & National News
