California city lightens up on marijuana users

Marijuana users in West Hollywood are breathing easier after the city
passed a resolution to deprioritise policing of pot infractions.
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"This is just another nail in the coffin of marijuana prohibition,"
said Bruce Margolin, a pioneer in pro-marijuana legislation. "Now the
police can go after the guy robbing people on the street, rather than
looking for harmless pot smokers."
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Late on Monday the city council of West Hollywood, which is sandwiched
between Hollywood and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles county, voted to
instruct police to not target adults "who consume this drug in private
and who pose no danger to the community".
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The council noted its existing endorsement of the medicinal use of
marijuana as it advised the Los Angeles county police, who handle West
Hollywood law enforcement, to focus their energies on more serious
narcotics problems and other crimes like child and elderly abuse,
burglary, and identity theft.
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"This sends a message that the City of West Hollywood has an
enlightened approach to its law enforcement," Don Duncan, manager of
two local medical marijuana dispensaries, told Agence France-Presse.
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The move gave a boost to the campaign in California to permit
sufferers from cancer and other debilitating afflictions to consume
marijuana freely, despite federal laws banning the practice.
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On Tuesday a steady stream of patients walked through the doors of
Alternative Herbal Health Services, a West Hollywood dispensary where
the product line runs from marijuana seeds to dwarf plants to
harvested ganja bearing names like "Hollywood High" and "Train Wreck,"
all displayed neatly in glass jars.
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Patients also can select between varieties of hashish, and "edibles"
from chocolate-covered peanut butter cups to cannabis-laced banana
bread.
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Dispensary operators like Nichols feel the ordinance validates their
work to provide organic medicine.
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"God bless the city of West Hollywood for this kind of pat on the
back," she said. "I've got cancer patients who come through here who
simply can't eat without this medicine."
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Nichols hopes the resolution will end what she believes is police
harassment of legitimately needy patients.
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"I've been hassled and given citations a few times by the police just
walking from the front door of the dispensary to my car," said Tracy,
a patient who asked that only her first name be used.
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"Now I feel like I don't have to be so anxious," she said as she
peered through the barred windows to the street.
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Another patient who asked to be called Brian comes to the dispensary
specifically for its high quality "edibles" to alleviate his insomnia
and arthritis.
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"The doctor prescribed me Ambien, but I hate the way that makes me
feel the next day," he said.
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With the new city resolution, Brian feels the pressure has lifted.
"Now I don't have to wait around in cars and hope the police won't
show up," he said.
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Local physicians also praised the decision. "This is an important step
towards sane adult use of marijuana," said Dr Craig Cohen. "I see
patients everyday who greatly benefit from marijuana prescriptions to
alleviate their pain and suffering and I know that they will be
grateful for this new resolution."
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California passed legislation in 1996 making small quantities of
marijuana legal for medical use, laws that conflict with those of the
US federal government.
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Since then medical pot clinics have operated openly. San Francisco and
Oakland both have policies in place similar to West Hollywood's.
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Because the resolution does not actually effect legislation, it is
unclear how it will impact law enforcement practices.
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"We will continue to comply with proposition 215 [California's medical
marijuana law]," said Officer Robert McMahon of the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department.