Editor,
The president of the Laguna Beach Police Employees Association, Larry Bammer, says that the defeated marijuana Proposition 19 is dangerous, and he talks about illegal sales of marijuana from storefront dispensaries.
You can get a medical marijuana card if you have any one of over 200 medical conditions. The 1997 law passed by the people allows those people not only to grow marijuana, but also to purchase it at dispensaries.
In spite of marijuana being smoked all over Laguna Beach, even by young parents and hundreds of citizens who have medical marijuana cards, Laguna Beach has no marijuana dispensaries. More hypocrisy by our City Council.
Bammer sounds like he would like to raid the dispensaries, and he goes on to say that 21 percent of traffic fatalities involve drugs. But he never mentions the legal drug that accounts for a large part of these fatalities: alcohol. Bammer also fails to mention a new law the governor signed months ago that allows any citizen to have in their possession one ounce of marijuana in your car or on the street. And, if you are questioned by a cop, the most the cop can do is give you a ticket (a misdemeanor), which can be cleared for $100. If you have more than an ounce, you can choose a diversion program and have the ticket taken off your record. If you have a scale, baggies or anything in your car, beware, because the cops will claim you are selling marijuana and that’s a felony.
Roger Carter
Laguna Beach
