A logical ban

The closure of businesses that sell marijuana in the City of Los Angeles is the logical end of a chapter characterized by mismanagement, both from municipal authorities and those who support using the drug for medicinal purposes.

From the beginning, the voter-approved use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in California was expected to be controversial, since it contradicts federal law. This confusion was compounded by the absence of a state regulatory framework and various contradictory court decisions, because some cases would be based on federal law (which prohibits it) and others on state law (which allows it).

To make matters worse, the Los Angeles City Council managed the situation poorly, unintentionally allowing hundreds of dispensaries to emerge throughout the city without any control.

As if that were not enough, the process to have access to medicinal marijuana deteriorated so much that anyone could obtain the drug with the complicity of many doctors who were selling the recommendations. That was not the intent of the ballot initiative.

The generalized abuse of this process was caused by the incompetence of municipal authorities and businesses, which took advantage of the lack of oversight to make the drug too accessible.

We will see whether some dispensaries are allowed to operate in Los Angeles. A state law and the will of voters should not be disregarded simply because the authorities do not know how to implement this program.

The California Supreme Court will soon rule on medicinal marijuana. Based on that, perhaps it will become clearer how to properly proceed.