The News Site of Fresno City College

The Rampage Online

The News Site of Fresno City College

The Rampage Online

The News Site of Fresno City College

The Rampage Online

Reefer Madness!

Who wants greens?  

Zoning ordinance 12-306-N-56-c, which was enacted in late 2006 through Fresno’s municipal codes, stated that medical marijuana collectives are to operate under state and federal law.  

Under federal law, marijuana is illegal and is a Schedule I drug, meaning it has no potential medicinal use (although 13 states have declared marijuana medicinally beneficial).  

Jan. 19 finally brought the court case to an end. The City of Fresno thinks the state superseded local laws.  Fresno has already taken action and succeeded in the removal of nine medical marijuana collectives.

For the past several years the debate has raged and collectives have been moving in to Fresno county islands to avoid the city zoning ordinances. A non-profit collective called Herbal Medical Collective opened three weeks ago in a county island business zone.

John Morse, head of the Collective board, stated, “I am ivn check with all the city codes and located in a county island. I got my business license through the city. But if they want to stop us, I will comply. But for me to stop on my own, well, they would have to pass an ordinance strictly against Fresno County. We have seen how long it took for them to enact a bill put in place in 2006.  But regardless, I am obeying the law and will comply if asked to close.”

Jan. 18 lead to California’s Public Safety Administration approving Assembly Bill 390 by a four-to-three majority.  The bill allows for the regulation of marijuana use, cultivation and sale for persons over 21.  A $5,000 annual sales license fee, similar to an alcohol or tobacco license, will be enacted under the bill allowing $50 tax on every ounce sold to be paid to the state. The bill will be heading to the Department of Public Health and then to the state senate on a decision which will rock the foundations of American history.

With AB 390 heading into possible public voting it is unclear how Fresno will react to the recreationalization of marijuana statewide. It is also uncertain how the Federal government will react.

As already mentioned, marijuana is a Schedule I drug meaning it has no medicinal benefits whatsoever.  However, Marinol, a THC synthetic pill, is listed as a Schedule III drug meaning it can be prescribed by a doctor for medicinal uses.  This is a clear contradiction.  

How can THC be scheduled twice under two very different categories? Highly illegal yet a doctor can prescribe it?  What if your doctor could prescribe heroin, a Schedule I drug?  OxyContin, a Schedule II drug that can also be prescribed by a doctor, is significantly similar to heroin.  In fact, people cook it down and inject it specifically for it being “cleaner” than heroin as it’s produced in the lab at a higher purity and quality.

The 13 states allowing medicinal use of marijuana will surely change governmental opinion. President Obama has been very open about his disappointment in the D.E.A. who has on numerous occasions raided caregivers and collectives state and nationwide. “I’m not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue,” Obama told Mail Tribune Newspaper last March.

It’s clear that even with the legalization of marijuana there will still be a difficult road to overcome for local and national unity. FCC student and state-approved medical card holder Samantha Janet High said, “It’s all happening too fast! Even if it did pass in my life, it would have to re-written to fit all the medical programs and laws currently in place.  AB 390 doesn’t currently have any plans for medicinal use. It just doesn’t seem right, going so far for medical marijuana then dropping all of it for recreational marijuana? Disappointing if it passes.”   

So who wants greens?

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