>> Peggy: ALEX CITE FORMER CHAIR OF THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA TASK
FORCE AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LAW AT THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL
OF LAW JOINS ME ON THE NEW BALLOT MEASURES.
WELL COME.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Peggy: WHAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THESE BALLOT INITIATIVES?
>> THEY'RE NOT VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE STATE.
THEY'RE MODELED AFTER EXISTING ORDINANCES IN OTHER PARTS OF
CALIFORNIA THAT HAVE WORKED WELL AND ARE A SUCCESS AT REGULATING
MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LOT IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
>> Peggy: THERE ARE FOUR ON THE NOVEMBER NOVEMBER BALLOT.
DEL MAR, SOLANA BEACH, LEMON GROVE AND IMPERIAL BEACH.
FOUR TOUCHES.
ARE THOSE INITIATIVES ARE THE SAME, WRITTEN BY THE SAME
PERSON.
>> THESE INITIATIVES ARE BACKED BY THE SAME ORGANIZATION AND
VERY SIMILAR IN TERMS OF HOW THEY GO ABOUT REGULATING MEDICAL
MARIJUANA DECEMBER PENSERIES.
THEY HAVE STRICT REGULATION AND CONTROL TO BALANCE INSURANCE OF
THE COMMUNITY AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS.
WHETHER THEY'RE STRICT ENOUGH IS IN THE EYE OF THE BE HOLDER.
>> Peggy: WHY THESE FOUR TOWNS, ANY SIMILARITIES OR JUST A
COINCIDENCE?
>> THE MOST MOMENTUM IN GETTING THE ORDINANCES TOGETHER.
I SUSPECT THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOING SIMILAR
MEASURES IN OTHER PARTS OF SAN DIEGO IN THE FUTURE.
THIS IS WHERE IT CAME TO GET THEY ARE YEAR.
>> Peggy: U.S. ATTORNEY LAURA DUFFY HAS PUSHED TO GET THESE
DISPENSARIES SHUT DOWN.
WON'T THE FEDS COME IN AND SAY CLOSE THEM.
>> I THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IF THEY KEEP DOING
WHAT THEY'RE DOING THEY SEEM TO KEEP GOING AFTER DISPENSARIES.
IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE WHERE THEY HAVE
ORDINANCES THE FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE LESS SUCCESSFUL AT SHUTTING
DOWN THE DISPENSARIES.
THERE ARE CLEAR RULES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
THIS WOULD MAKE IT TOUGHER TO SHUT DOWN THE DISPENSARIES.
>> Peggy: ONE COMPLAINT HEARD ABOUT THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA
DISPENSARIES ARE PEOPLE ARE USING THEM ILLEGALLY FOR AN
ILLEGAL HIGH AND THEY'RE NOT TO HELP PATIENTS IN PAIN.
YOU HAVE DONE REPORTING AND INVESTIGATIONS ON.
THIS WHAT DOES THE DATA SHOW >> THERE ISN'T A LOT OF CLEAR
DATA ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ABUSING THE SYSTEM.
THE THING TO REMEMBER IS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL MEDICINES AND
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
THERE IS ABUSE.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SOCIETY USUALLY LOOKS AT IT AND BALANCES
IT AND SAYS ABUSE IS SOMETHING TO LOOK AT AND TRY TO STOP.
THE ANSWER CAN'T BE TO DENY LEGITIMATE PATIENTS THE ACCESS
TO MEDICINE THEY NEED.
IT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK AT AND SAY HOW CAN WE LIMIT THE ABUSE
OF PEOPLE BUT LOOKING AT IT AND SAY THERE IS ABUSE, DENY
LEGITIMATE PATIENTS IS NOT THE RIGHT BALANCE.
>> HOW AGGRESSIVE IS LOCAL LAW ENFORCE.
ON GOING AFTER PEOPLE USING MEDICAL MARIJUANA?
>> I THINK THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND OTHER
PARTS OF THE STATE.
WHY HERE IN SAN DIEGO THERE ARE NO DISPENSARIES ANYMORE.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HERE IS VIGILANT IN GOING AFTER
MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES.
THEY TAKE A DIFFERENT STATEWIDE VIEW FROM THOSE PUT FORWARD.
IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THERE WILL BE AN ORAL APPELLATE COURT.
I THINK IT'S A DIFFERENCE FROM HERE AND OTHER PARTS OF
CALIFORNIA.
>> Peggy: IF THE MEASURES PASS WOULD CITY OFFICIALS BE LIBEL?
>> NO, THERE HAS BEEN A EFFORT TO CREATE THAT IMPRESSION.
THE FACT IS THE ORDINANCES REQUIRE CITY EMPLOYEES TO
IMPLEMENT A LICENSING PERMITTING SCHEME.
IT EXISTS ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA CALF AND OTHER STATES
OF COLORADO, ARIZONA, AND REALLY NO LEGAL THEORY TO SAY ISSUING A
BUSINESS PERMIT SOME HOW IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE.
>> Peggy: ALRIGHT AL ELECTION CITE.
PROFESSOR AT THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL OF LAW.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.