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If parents are so concerned about their children and mixed messages, then they should sit their children down and have an honest discussion with them about ALL drugs, including alcohol. My gosh, our society is FULL of mixed messages. That's part of having a free society. In any case, you can abuse any drug - including many OTC drugs; that's what children need to know. If marijuana helps some people with nausea, headaches, and other physical ailments, then why prevent them from using it? As long as they're not out driving, I don't care. It's no different than someone having a few beers at the ballgame. In fact, it's probably safer. No one likes being around potheads or alcoholics, but if someone can handle a beer or two then surely there are people (and I know some of them) who can take a hit from a joint w/o turning into an obnoxious jerk. Finally, the state law is more than 10 years old and Mariposa is JUST getting around to issuing i.d. cards? Wow, out in front of things again, huh? Forward thinking.... And the first person who commented is correct: This "banning dispensaries" action by the Board of Supes will likely keep the County in court for years to come. Ridiculous.

In recent Board of Supervisor meetings, medical marijuana has been one of the topics discussed. California citizens voted in the medial marijuana laws and since then a few communities have attempted to find loopholes in this legislation to disallow those citizens the rights of their preferred medical treatment. Almost all of these attempts have ended in long drawn out lawsuits that the county taxpayers pay to litigate. Apparently, Mariposa county will soon be included in that group because of a ban on dispensaries and an ordinance against growing marijuana as suggested by our sheriff because of criminal elements that will follow these dispensaries. There is no evidence to support this. The fact is that the criminal element is already here in our parks and public lands growing millions of dollars worth of pot. They will do even better when they find out that they can still sell and grow it in Mariposa county because the legal means of supplying medical patients has been removed. One of the requirements was for every county in the state to adopt and manage a state medical marijuana card program. Mariposa County has yet to abide by this law until just recently and hopefully the program will be in force soon. The purpose of the state ID card is to let law enforcement know who is using and growing medical marijuana. Denying citizens the right to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes will only help the criminal element survive and people will be forced to break the law to obtain their medicine. That’s not what laws are all about. Many of these people are bed ridden or without the means to travel somewhere to get their legal medicine. It seems to me that this is an effort to remove a perceived culture. What’s next, liquor stores, wineries, or tattoo parlors?

Building any facility like that within Mariposa County would be sending the wrong message to our children. We already have a problem with those illegal gardens in the summer, so why should be have a medical one?