Welcome back to SF President Obama! Now, say Supevisors, give us our marijuana

06.06.12 - 7:18 am | Caitlin Donohue |

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Can't we get President Obama to harken back to his be-jointed past?

Not that it's ever a good idea, but avoid driving downtown today like the plague -- President Obama's in town! And, (as reported by SFGate), SF supervisors want him to take a stance on pot. Sup. Christina Olague has penned a letter co-signed by Sups. David Campos, and Scott Weiner that is a solid finger-wag at the current federal administrations actions against the medical marijuana industry. Here's the meat of it:

We believe strongly in addressing medical cannabis as a public health issue, and we will strive to fully implement state law by protecting not only our patients, but our property owners and dispensary operators as well. We want to work with President Obama on a public health solution for medical cannabis at the federal level, once he wins a second term. In the meantime, the Department of Justice must respect our laws and honor the President’s commitment on this issue. Honoring this commitment can start by taking no further action against the nine landlords of City-permitted facilities here in San Francisco.

Those "nine landlords" refer to the property owners of the five SF cannabis dispensaries that have already closed, and the additional four that are set to close this month. The federal government has sent threatening letters to dispensary landlords that posit extensive jail time and civil forfeiture for those landlords that continue to allow federally-illegal drug trafficking on their property.

Kudos to the new Sup. Olague for taking a stand. Of course, the letter's premise is that the Sups. are staunch supporters of Obama's re-election, they're just asking him to improve on this particular issue. It begs the question: why would he make capitulations to win support that is already in pocket?

Tickets are sold out for his lunch at the Julia Morgan Ballroom (465 California, between Montgomery and Sansome Streets), although his campaign website encourages you to get on the waiting list -- be careful, general admission tickets start at $5,000. The President's only other scheduled stop, says SFGate, is at a "small roundtable" at One Market Plaza.

Afterwards, the President will head south to Los Angeles to attend the annual fundraising gala for the LGBT Leadership Council, where he will no doubt be greeted affectionately for his "I support gay marriage"isms of last month.

Comments

Fantastic!

I'd like to acknowledge and applaud the supporters and the supervisor writers of this letter.
I believe that President Obama must be asked at every stop about his stance on marijuana. We have Mittens on tape, laughing away at a reporters question on medical marijuana in Colorado. It's been the number one topic since he's been in office and he continues to avoid addressing it and has backpedalled. If it's left to the States and we in Colorado pass Amendment 64 (regulate as alcohol - over 21 can purchase without medical card & tax it = $$$$$ millions for state) which also allows for growth and sales of hemp, I'm sure the farmers that stand to make serious bank will want to be assured and reassured the Feds won't come after them.
Why are some people refusing to see that the money brought into to the states could save them? What are people afraid of? Did you know, we have to import hemp? We can't grow it here in the US.
President Obama should not get away with saying he was keeping his hands off the states and then sending the Justice Department in to close them down!
Add in the media spinning this November election into a very close one & in states where marijuana issues are on the ballot, neither candidate addressing our questions. California, WA, other states we need to band together and work to get answers. These are important questions!

Posted by SaraCsit on Jun. 06, 2012 @ 8:43 am

guardian style?

When I see a lede like this, I don’t read further:

“like the plague” is ambiguous: which word does it modify—avoiding or driving? One takes a stand, not a stance. “Administration” in the possessive takes an apostrophe.

Also, of course, “penned” is unnecessary. “Written” would be simpler and better. The “meat” of a “finger-wag” is an interesting image… Etc., etc., etc.

At least no “groundswell” reached a “crescendo.”

Posted by Guest on Jun. 06, 2012 @ 11:59 am

Thanks!

Posted by caitlin on Jun. 08, 2012 @ 9:21 am

Medicinal Marijuana

!6 states allow and the war on drug was Lost a long time ago. Try to control what we drink, eat and let us smoke Cigg that kill 50,000 per year! That how many Good Men we Lost in the 10 yrs we fought in Vietnam. But those 50,000 are PER year. Some day it will be Cigg are Not legal and Pot IS! Mark my words... I will happen!

Posted by zeedawgg on Jul. 06, 2012 @ 4:08 am