Just blocks away from the San Francisco Cannabis Cultivators Club, a young man glances sideways at pedestrians and mumbles, almost to himself, "buds, buds; weed, weed." But the club patrons don't need him: they flash membership cards as they file inside to pick up their medicinal joints, brownies, or "merry pills."
This is the paradox of medical marijuana. Law enforcement and medical treatment seldom make a happy couple. In San Francisco their dance has become comical. On April 20, 1998, San Francisco sheriff Mike Hennessy followed a court order in closing the Cannabis Cultivators Club, based on selling violations by the club's owner Dennis Peron. Hennessy's eviction went forward with smiles all around. Meanwhile, Peron handed the keys to the building's owner, who promptly handed them to the new club director Hazel Rodgers, a 78-year-old glaucoma sufferer. Rest in peace Cannabis Cultivators Club; long live the Cannabis Healing Center.
In a city where legalizing medical marijuana got 80% of the vote, such a scene is hardly surprising. But not all cities will follow the lead of San Francisco, and still fewer countries will mimic the Netherlands. Medical marijuana needs the endorsement of science. What research is needed, how it should be done, and the legal and social barriers to getting it done are just some of the topics covered in this fascinating debate. More research was the constant cry, but participants disagreed strongly over the best research emphasis, and what should be done while the jury is out.
Our SponsorThe Lindesmith Center is a policy research institute founded in 1994 that focuses on broadening the debate on drug policy and related issues. The center houses a library and information center; organizes seminars and conferences; acts as a link between scholars, government, and the media; directs a grants program in central and eastern Europe; and undertakes projects on special topics such as methadone policy reform and alternatives to drug testing in the workplace. The guiding principle of the center is harm reduction, an alternative approach to drug policy and treatment that focuses on minimizing the adverse effects of both drug use and drug prohibition. Particular attention is focused on analyzing the experiences of foreign countries in reducing drug-related harms.
Andrzej Krauze is an illustrator, poster maker, cartoonist, and painter who illustrates regularly for HMS Beagle, The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph, Bookseller, and New Statesman.
