Say what you will about marijuana. Call it the ‘devil’s weed.’ Bring up ‘Reefer Madness.’ Tell me you didn’t vote for Prop 215. Spout off whatever propaganda you like, but remember this: the initiative that California voters approved is 12 years old already. So why are dispensaries still illegal in most of Orange County? I’ll tell you why: the will of the voters… on the City Councils that is.
Alan Bock over at Orange Punch posted a few days ago that Seal Beach just became another community that has unilaterally banned safe access to many patients’ much-needed medicine. He says:
One of the purposes of Prop. 215, which voters passed 12 (!) years ago, was to allow a small white market in medical marijuana to emerge, thereby weakening the black market. Banning dispensaries discourages this healthy development.
Shame on the Seal Beach Council. Dispensaries, despite the potential problems that can come with some (which are much easier to control than those that come from the black market), provide people with such chronic illnesses as cancer, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, anxiety/depression, and others, with a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals which tend to have a plethora of unwanted side effects and powerfully addictive ingredients.
Numerous studies have shown that not only is marijuana not addictive, but it may be by far the safest form of medicine for the symptoms of many illnesses and diseases.
Nobody in recorded history has ever died by overdose.
You may say, “so what? Marijuana is a federally outlawed drug and is illegal in most places for any purpose,” or, “the city councils are elected by the people and can legislate as they see fit,” but those attitudes neglect to acknowledge the striking parallels to the Prop 8 battle, and undermine the will of the voters. Sound familiar?
“The will of the voters, the will of the voters; remember Prop 22,” they cried, just before a small majority passed a socially oppressive ballot measure to amend the state Constitution to discriminate against something that most people don’t understand.
Because nobody cares much about that worthless piece of paper’s role in protecting civil rights from the tyranny of the majority. They just want what they want, and they want it now, especially if it even slightly offends their religious sensibilities.
It’s as if God ‘himself’ descended upon us and demanded it. “Activist judges,” they cried (as usual), but many of these people are ironically the same who voted for Prop 215, and yet fail to admit that Jesus was the ultimate liberal.
It’s called denial. It’s called a double standard. People seem to be morally able to do a legal end-around against gay marriage, but even with both Prop 215 and SB 420 being on the books for over a decade, suddenly nobody cares about the eroding rights of the people that they voted to protect.
The will of the voters is being overturned again, but this time, nobody cares.
