Commentary

More than a Moratorium

Yesterday’s LA Times noted that “Police Chief William J. Bratton is calling for a moratorium on new [medical marijuana dispensaries] until strict rules can be adopted governing them.” This afternoon an “updated” plan was put into action as law enforcement shut down many area dispensaries. I just returned from West Hollywood where the three dispensaries near the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and Fairfax were shuttered. Seemed a bit much that, hours after the raids, a half-dozen sheriff deputies were still on the scene. Some protestors had assembled, but, apart from one medical marijuana patient who hollered at deputies for a while, everyone was just milling around quietly. One deputy video-taped the onlookers and I spoke to another deputy who said that dispensaries should be done away withââ?¬â??and replaced with complete marijuana legalization.