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…”

Read the entire story online.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca suggested the killings may be linked to drug cartels last week. At a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, California Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo) used newspaper clippings of last week’s shootings to win support for a bill that will mandate a 600-foot buffer zone between collectives and schools statewide (AB 2650). And now, Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich is calling for a ban on collectives in unincorporated areas of the county. This would overturn the counties 2006 ordinance regulating the facilities.

The political fallout from the violence in Los Angeles will be significant for local efforts to regulate safe access this year, and may also be a factor in statewide legislation next year. The controversy will also be a part of the debate about Proposition 19, which will allow local jurisdictions to tax and regulate non-medical cannabis. Advocates will have to overcome normal emotional reactions to violence like this, as well as cynical efforts to use these tragedies for political ends, to be sure we do not lose important political ground.

Read more about the webcast and ASA’s work on the ASA website.

I call on medical cannabis patients and providers to join me in supporting ASA, the nation’s largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA’s work helped make a place for safe access – and we need this ongoing work right now to hold the ground we have and push forward against a growing backlash. Please join ASA today!

“Americans for Safe Access (ASA) filed an appeal of the Zoning Administrator’s interpretation of the new medical cannabis ordinance in Los Angeles on Friday. The appeal challenges the Zoning Administrator’s position on parking and nonconforming use status for medical cannabis collectives…”

Read the entire post on the ASA Blog.