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PermalinkThursday, January 10, 2013
Above: San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and Eugene Davidovich, the chapter coordinator for San Diego Americans for Safe Access, talk to KPBS about Mayor Bob Filner's re-opening of the door to the possibility of legal medical marijuana collectives in San Diego.
Mayor Filner Re-Opens Door For Medical Marijuana Collectives In San Diego
Aired 1/10/13
GUESTS
San Diego City Attorney, Jan Goldsmith
Alex Kreit, former chair of the city's Medical Marijuana Task Force and professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Eugene Davidovich, Chapter Coordinator for San Diego Americans for Safe Access
This week, Mayor Bob Filner re-opened the door to the possibility of legal medical marijuana collectives in San Diego. Speaking to the group Americans for Safe Access, the mayor said he would work to stop the city of San Diego from closing medical marijuana collectives.
As first reported by San Diego CityBeat, Goldsmith then sent Filner a letter saying that the mayor could stop him from going after the collectives in "30 seconds."
On Thursday, Filner responded by ordering the city to stop referring medical marijuana code violation cases to Goldsmith for prosecution.
On KPBS Midday Edition, Goldsmith said now that Filner’s done that, his office will leave dispensaries alone.
"Without the Code Compliance unit sending us matters or providing us information or evidence or direction, yes, it’s over," he said.
Goldsmith said his office only started going after dispensaries at the request of the San Diego police chief. However, the U.S. Attorney’s office is still actively trying to shut California dispensaries down. Medical marijuana is legal under state law, but still violates federal law.
Filner indicated he would review the results of the city's Medical Marijuana Task Force presented to the City Council more than two years ago. He referred to the federal, county and San Diego city crackdowns of the collectives as both prosecutions and persecutions.
Goldsmith also told KPBS he did not take personal offense to Filner's comments, which included calling Goldsmith a "little guy" and suggesting Goldsmith could be intimidated.
"I think he needs some slack and I'm giving him some slack," Goldsmith said. "I think he needs that time to adjust from being a congressman, advocate, rebel rouser, whatever you want to call it, to a mayor, and be mayoral."
KPBS asked Filner to appear on today's show to comment, but he was not available.
Eugene Davidovich, the chapter coordinator for San Diego Americans for Safe Access, called Filner's actions "a huge step forward." He said he wants Goldsmith's office to write recommendations on an ordinance for how dispensaries should be regulated.
Claire Trageser and Katie Orr contributed to this report.
Comments
TheKindGardenersCollective | January 10, 2013 at 12:53 p.m. ― 4 months, 1 week ago
Finally, a bit of progress.
Filner's open support for the rights of 'Qualified Medical Marijuana Patients" (as defined by State Law) is a breath of fresh air here in San Diego.
Since District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis began systematic raids in 2009, our community has been under attack.
Current State Law CLEARLY allows 'sales' of marijuana BY a dispensing collective to their qualified patient members. Our DA Dumanis continues to IGNORE this. Instead she and her office wastes millions of OUR dollars pursuing her personal hatred and bias. THIS MUST STOP.
Local Medical Marijuana activist groups are working in concert to regain 'safe acess to medicine'. Filner's support is a huge encouragement to our supporters, many who have been jailed, and financially ruined under the Dumanis reign of terror.
Thanks to ALL in the community for the continued hard work.
Will Johnson, Scty., Americans for Safe Access, San Diego
www.safeaccesssd.org
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laplayaheritage | January 10, 2013 at 6:41 p.m. ― 4 months, 1 week ago
Laura Duffy and Bonnie Dumanis received Federal grants to combat the Mexican Drug Cartels. Instead of fighting organized crime and gangs, Duffy and Dumanis teamed with Mayor Sanders to go after the medical marijuana community in San Diego.
The City of San Diego received millions in Federal grants for taking part in the Federal raids. The County of San Diego, Suprerior Court, and Federal Courts also received the Federal grant for the prosecution of the Maxican Drug Cartels and gangs.
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RLA | January 10, 2013 at 8:28 p.m. ― 4 months, 1 week ago
Until Filner gets Dumanis and Duffy to back off -not likely in my opinion, little is likely to change.
Laplayaheritage has laid out the details above. The threat to confiscate buildings from landlords who rent to marijuana dispensaries remains an effective deterrent.
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Mmikey | January 11, 2013 at 8:37 a.m. ― 4 months, 1 week ago
Filner vs the feds, who will win this pissing contest?
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