Thursday, April 2, 2009

La Police chief, calls MMJ Loony Tunes

LOS ANGELES-Police Chief William Bratton called on the City Council
to speed up the drafting of stricter regulations on medical marijuana
clinics, calling current state law "Looney Tunes."
Bratton also termed as unfortunate the new Obama administration
policy of targeting marijuana dispensaries only when they violate
both federal and state law, instead of just federal law.
"I think that the policy of the federal government at this time is
unfortunate," the chief told a press conference Wednesday. "I think
the policy of this state is 'Looney Tunes.'"
The city passed a moratorium on new marijuana dispensaries in
September 2007 in order to draft regulations to operate the clinics.
"They pass a law, then they have no regulations as to how to enforce
the darn thing and, as a result, we have hundreds of these locations
selling drugs to every Tom, Dick and Harry," Bratton said.
California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996, making it legal
for people suffering from certain ailments to grow, smoke and possess
marijuana upon a doctor's recommendation.
In 2003, the state set up a system for issuing ID cards to those with
"prescriptions" for medicinal marijuana, but many claim the system
has been abused and is out of control.
"While I fully support its use for medicinal purposes, why don't we
regulate it like we do Lipitor or Viagra," Bratton said. "You can't
buy those two without getting it through a legitimate pharmacy. If
this drug is so important and so helpful, why is it not regulated
like every other drug?"

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