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Regulation sought for pot clubs

Rachel Gordon sfgate.com

San Francisco, CA Feb 25, 2005 -- Nearly three dozen medical marijuana clubs operate in San Francisco, but city officials have yet to regulate them. That may change.

This week, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi requested a hearing to discuss issues and policies related to Proposition S, the 2002 voter-approved measure that directed the city to explore growing and distributing pot for medicinal uses. Specifically, Mirkarimi wants the hearing to focus on licensing medical marijuana clubs, regulating them through zoning restrictions and setting up consumer protection guidelines. Supervisor Bevan Dufty held a similar hearing in 2003 to look at the city's options.

"I want us to get a handle on the growing number of clubs in San Francisco,'' Mirkarimi said. "Now the city has a complete hands-off policy.''

And that may be for good reason. Growing and distributing marijuana, for medical use or not, still isn't allowed by federal authorities and could put the city at legal risk.

"Does Mirkarimi remember it's still 'The George Bush Show'?'' remarked one city official following the local twists and turns of medical marijuana.

Mirkarimi is well aware of the concerns, but said it's worth seeing what, if anything, the city can do to move the issue forward. Not only does he think it would be beneficial from a consumer standpoint to have standards in place, but the city also may be able to cash in through licensing fees or tapping into the distributors' profits, he said.

Tens of millions of dollars reportedly change hands in the local medical marijuana clubs, which Mirkarimi described as a growing cottage industry.