Harris' Election Bodes Well for Medical Marijuana

The Attorney General race outcome has interesting implications as to the prosecution of medical marijuana dispensaries, and marijuana activists are pleased and optimistic.

Before the results were published, the Sac Bee reported:

Both candidates opposed Proposition 19, the initiative to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

But Harris said she personally knew people "who have benefited" from medical marijuana – while Cooley praised a proposed ban on dispensaries in Los Angeles County and efforts by the city of Los Angeles to rein in its medical pot trade.

"Communities throughout the nation are waiting to see how we handle storefronts illegally pushing pot," he said.

Cooley argues that pot shops violate state medical marijuana laws, which define dispensaries as members-only nonprofits run by medical marijuana patients.

Harris' campaign manager, Brian Brokaw, said Wednesday that Harris "supports the legal use of medicinal marijuana but thinks California needs to bring consistent standards about ownership and operations of dispensaries."

How such consistent standards can be enforced, in the shadow of federal illegality/nonprosecution, is a good question, that merits more attention to Harris' policies in the future.