home>>>

San Franciscans Meet to Discuss Prop S

SF May 14--Today's Proposition S workshop, a 2002 ballot measure that asks whether the city should explore growing and distributing medical marijuana for seriously ill patients who qualify under California's medical marijuana law. seemed upbeat and productive. Over 50 interested parties listened, asked questions and made suggestions during the two-hour event held at the beautiful First Unitarian Church.

The meeting was facilitated by Judy Appel from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and Hillary McQuie from Americans for Safe Access (ASA). Ellie Schafer (DPA) gave an update presentation that focused on the limited successes so far.

Specifically, Supervisor Duffy had requested that the legal department formally review the feasibility of a "WAMM" model for San Francisco. A legislative analyst who worked for the city named Adam gave a short report citing the determination that a grow could be done legally, but not necessarily without some level of liability.

The San Francisco Deputy City Attorney Rick Sheinfield (who has been assigned to arbitrate any marijuana issues for the city) also spoke and answered questions. Unfortunately, he became the target of some people's frustrations at this protracted process. He had to remind listeners that his job was primarily to review suggestions that were directed to him from the Board of Supervisors. It was not his job to either suggest or implement any plans. He did tell this reporter that if asked he would be glad to suggest options, but they were hoping for a specific plan to be compounded through this meeting. To this end a survey was passed around with the intent of collating the results and producing some form of consensus among the community. In the near future, the DPA plans to submit some of the ideas to the city. When I asked Mr. Sheinfield about the possibility of a larger grow than the WAMM model would accommodate, it was his opinion that nothing was off the table, but there was a feeling that this process should start with a smaller pilot program.

Types of questions that were broached were:

The general response from the City Attorney was that there now existed a window where these activities could be done legally. How long that window would remain open was indeterminable. As to definitions of legal terms queried, he added that recent court decisions are dynamically redefining terms like "commerce" as it applies to the medical cannabis laws.

by Bob Lange