Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Los Angeles Times - November 4, 2006
Eric Bailey, eric.bailey@latimes.com
Those planning to gather today at the Gay Community Center in San Francisco include former cannabis club impresario and Proposition 215 author Dennis Peron, celebrated medical marijuana physician Dr. Tod Mikuriya and former San Francisco Dist. Atty. Terence Hallinan.
On Nov. 5, 1996, 56% of the California electorate voted to approve the ballot measure, igniting a national controversy and putting the state squarely at odds with the federal government's blanket prohibition on pot.
The last decade has seen dozens of medical marijuana dispensaries raided by federal drug agents and scores of patients arrested. Several disputes over the California law landed on the U.S. Supreme Court's doorstep, most recently with a decision last year upholding prosecutions of patients in federal court.
Despite unwavering federal resistance, 10 other states followed California in approving medical marijuana measures. Voters in South Dakota are scheduled to decide Tuesday whether they want to join the club.
The decade also saw a proliferation of cannabis dispensaries in the Golden State. By some counts, California has more than 250 clinics and distribution networks and 200,000 patients.
There has been backlash. Although two dozen cities and seven counties - including Los Angeles, Riverside and Santa Barbara - have approved regulations allowing dispensaries, three times as many municipalities have passed moratoriums or banned cannabis clubs.
In addition, three counties - San Diego, San Bernardino and Merced - sued the state, questioning the constitutionality of a mandate that conflicts with federal law. A hearing is scheduled for this month.
Many physicians have shied away from recommending marijuana to their patients, despite a pivotal federal court victory upholding doctor-patient privacy rights. More than two dozen cannabis specialists have recommended the drug, authorizing marijuana for thousands of patients suffering a variety of ills, including AIDS wasting, muscle aches and depression - in some cases prompting criticism and professional sanctions.
Fears of rising recreational use among teenagers were unfounded, with rates declining over the decade.
A nationwide Gallup poll a year ago found that 78% of Americans supported allowing doctors to prescribe pot.
Meanwhile, there is movement for even greater legalization of the plant.
On Tuesday, the cities of Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Santa Monica will vote on initiatives aimed at eliminating criminal penalties for adult recreational use of cannabis. Two states - Nevada and Colorado - will vote on proposals to legalize adult marijuana use entirely.
Ten years after Proposition 215, "a second marijuana reform shockwave may be in the making," said Dale Gieringer, California director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
061104
LT061101
Copyright © 2006 - Los Angeles Times. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Los Angeles Times, Permissions, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. http://www.latimes.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .