S.B. County gets kudos for seeing through the smoke

Roger Anderson
Article Launched: 09/01/2008 05:00:05 PM PDT


The Inland Valley Drug Free Community Coalition supports San Bernardino County's decision to ask the state Supreme Court to intervene on State Attorney General Brown's demands that people be allowed to smoke pot. San Bernardino County was not fooled by a small group of pro-pot users who marched in mid-August demanding the county issue pot ID cards. The failed protest attempt by pro-drug legalizers is reminiscent of a drug culture craze a generation ago. Those days are long gone and so is the perceived innocence of marijuana. Thankfully, the leaders of San Bernardino County saw through their smoke.


However, in Riverside County, where the Board of Supervisors approved medical marijuana ID cards, more than 1,000 ID cards have been issued. Yes, nearly 1,000 - and at taxpayer expense. This angers citizens, especially in tough economic times when funds should be diverted to legitimate services for the community. The fact that taxpayer dollars are being used to pay county employees to issue these cards is beyond absurd. Nonetheless, a small radical group of drug legalizers got their way. Riverside County made a mistake and we are confident they will learn from this failure and join San Bernardino and San Diego counties in the courts to fight back against the failures of Proposition 215.

California was fooled by Proposition 215. Guess how many people in California use so-called medical marijuana? A jaw-dropping quarter million Californians, and growing! Tell me there isn't something seriously wrong with that. Thankfully not a single pot card has been issued in San Bernardino County.

But the pot protestors have the audacity to march on the county and demand more pot use! Give us a break.

Marijuana use brings harm to our children and our communities. It's clear now that a faltering drug legalization movement is afoot in the Inland Empire and the Inland Valley Drug Free Community Coalition stands alongside law enforcement and elected officials in San Bernardino for their decision to not issue or recognize marijuana ID cards. Our hearts go out to anyone suffering from an illness; however, in the case of marijuana, we have seen time and again how the drug legalization movement hides behind the sick for their own selfish cause. Up and down the state, cities are banning marijuana dispensaries and counties are fighting back against the plight brought to our state from the failures of Proposition 215. Marijuana use is a violation of federal law. The Federal Drug Administration has approved numerous medications over the years to relieve patients of pain, but smoked marijuana has never been one of them, and for good cause.

Many Californians know of someone who has ruined their life with marijuana use. The drug legalization movement will continue to fail because Californians are realizing we were tricked with Proposition 215. When years later the co-founder of Proposition 215 then speaks out against it, that should speak volumes. "We created Prop. 215 so that patients would not have to deal with black market profiteers. But today it is all about the money. Most of the dispensaries operating in California are little more than dope dealers with store fronts," Rev. Scott Imler, co-founder of Proposition 215, has said.

Earlier this year, a Los Angeles Times columnist went inside a marijuana dispensary and wrote a detailed article about the ease at getting so-called medical marijuana. At the location he visited, he learned that nobody has ever been denied a pot prescription (which is not surprising because Proposition 215, passed in 1996 by a marginal 55 percent, allows marijuana to be issued for any condition - yes, any condition!). He then told the marijuana doc he had insomnia and was prescribed pot on the spot. At another pot location, he was able to spin a wheel to get a free gift, a marijuana-infused lollipop.

This is what Proposition 215 and the drug legalization movement have brought to California.

Most Californians know somebody whose life was destroyed by substance abuse - enough is enough. Our communities have sufficient problems with drunken drivers, meth addicts and prescription-drug abusers. We don't need an outcast of legalizers harming the next generation. We can expect the drug legalization movement in the Inland Empire to once again hide behind the sick and throw them in front of the cameras and microphones for their own selfish cause. Shame on Attorney General Brown. Kudos to the county of San Bernardino for its continued leadership and for standing up to this miniature drug culture craze.

Roger Anderson is a San Bernardino resident and the parent coalition leader for the Inland Valley Drug Free Community Coalition (www.ivdfc.org).


http://www.sbsun.com/pointofview/ci_10357118