Mr. Ellis quotes ONDCP Chairman Kerlikowske: “Kerlikowske, however, pointed to how state and local jurisdictions have dealt with the state’s legalization of medical marijuana, saying they are ‘doing a really good job of licensing, land use, those kind of regulations’…”

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“… City Council voted 5-0 in support of an interim ordinance at Thursday’s meeting that prohibits the establishment of marijuana dispensaries in Beverly Hills…. ‘Staff believes that the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries in Beverly Hills has the potential to change the character of Beverly Hills,’ [Director of Community Development] Keene said, noting the recent string of robberies and murders that have occurred at dispensaries in Los Angeles…”

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Lawmakers and judges all over the state are looking to this case as a cue on how to proceed with regulations and litigation.  If the appellate court upholds the District Courts decision to allow an outright ban, jurisdictions statewide may feel emboldened to ban collectives and cooperatives. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors already asked staff to keep an eye on this case in conmection with a motion by Supervisor Michael Antonovich to ban collectives in unincorporated areas of the county. A decision in the city’s favor may also make it more difficult for medical cannabis advocates to argue that highly restrictive ordinances, like the ones recently adopted in Long Beach and Los Angeles, are illegal de facto bans. This could be a factor in numerous lawsuits filed against the City of Los Angeles.

Qualified Patients Association filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s ban on medical cannabis collectives in 2007. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) filed an amicus brief in the case, and ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford argued on behalf of the collective before the appellate court last September. “The City of Anaheim cannot hide behind federal law,” said Joe Elford. “Local governments cannot simply ban an activity that has been deemed lawful by the state.”

Jeffery Lake

John R. Lamb writing in San Diego Citybeat -

“’It is coming, and it’s going to come hard!’ Jeffrey Lake is preaching to the choir this day, but the lanky, buttoned-down Downtown attorney sounds uncertain that his message is getting through. San Diego city leaders intend to pick off medical-cannabis collectives one by one, he intones, and without a unified effort to fight back, the battle will be even more uphill…”

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Sheriff Bosenko

Joe Klare writing for 420 Times reports:

“There it is, in black and white. The reason we see so many marijuana busts in the news. We all knew it to be true, but to see a sheriff admit that police use marijuana busts to pump up their budgets is a little startling just the same. Sheriff Tom Bosenko of Shasta County, CA says he’s cutting back on all operations because of budget cuts, except one – marijuana busts…”

Read the entire post with links at 420 Times.