Monday, November 16, 2009

Smoke 'Em If You Gottem.

Cannabis Cafe opens for medical marijuana patients in Northeast Portland













From OregonLive.com

I would like to say first that I believe that Marijuana may have legitimate uses in pain management and should be vigorously studied to determine it's effectiveness. I also believe the war on drugs is a massive waste of our law enforcement dollars and ruins the lives of many otherwise law abiding citizens. The government should not try to decide what other people put in their bodies.

That said, it is a little discouraging that Portland has opened the nation's first cafe for licensed residents to sit down, sip coffee, and smoke marijuana. Customers must bring their own weed or partake in the weed that was volunteered by donors as it is illegal to sell marijuana. Also customers must have a medical marijuana card and be a member of lobbying group NORML.

A number of things appear to wrong with this operation:
1. It is against the law to smoke in Oregon businesses. Cigar bars are a notable exception however they must offer only that. They must derive at least 75 percent of its gross revenue from tobacco sales every year.

2. Customers must get to and from this premises therefore it is logical to assume that some of them are going to be driving while under the influence.

While the use of medical marijuana may be a very legitimate topic, treating it as an excuse for a friendly little social club will only cause derision from those on the verge of seeing it as real medicine.. It will also cause current bar, tavern, bingo parlors and others establishments that are suffering from lost clientelle due to the no-smoking laws to feel cheated. Not to mention the thousands of cigarette users that are huddled outside in the rain using their drug of choice.

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