Point Loma – OB Dems Get Lit on Medical Marijuana Regulations in San Diego

Cynara Velazques opens the panel discussion on medical marijuana regulations in San Diego. (All photos by Patrick Schultheis)

Report of Pt Loma – OB Democrats Meeting Sunday, April 26, 2015

By Lois Lane

This past Sunday’s meeting had a decidedly progressive tone, with a panel discussion on the topic of medical marijuana, and a presentation about the OB Rag.

The medical marijuana topic had some high-powered speakers – Terrie Best from the San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access; Alex Kreit, Associate Professor and director of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and Ebon Johnson, director of the Green Nectar Dispensary.

Terrie Best, Alex Kreit and Ebon Johnson.

Cynara Velazques, a club member, served as moderator. The guidelines stated that the topic was past the “for/opposed” stage, and was meant to provide information about the current law. Some interesting highlights:

• The medical marijuana law at this time does not have adjunct rights, such as employment and parental rights.

• The growers were not included in the law, making sources for legal dispensaries more difficult and possibly illegal. In addition, legally-certified dispensaries must issue IRS Form 1099’s to the suppliers.

• The expectation is that the Federal government will change their law to defer to state control.

• The medical marijuana card is not a prescription, it is a “recommendation”. Marijuana is still a Tier 1 controlled substance under federal law, and cannot be obtained at the drugstore.

• Because of these inconsistencies, additional laws in California are expected, either through the legislature or the referendum process.

The second part of the program was provided by our own Frank Gormlie, with copies of original publications of the OB Rag to display. He provided the history of progressive news in OB and throughout San Diego and his own involvement with the original 1970-1976 OB Rag and other alternative media.

Frank Gormlie holding up copy of original OB Rag with Richard Nixon on cover.

The initial motivation for the OB Rag was the Vietnam War and the lack of any news at the local level which provided  a progressive point of view. Did you know that Frank was the President of the Student Body at Point Loma High School? His home was then on Catalina Blvd, so Point Loma roots are there.

In publishing the current online-only OB Rag, Frank collaborated with his partner, Patty Jones and with Doug Porter. With others they started the San Diego Free Press, founded three years ago, as an alternative liberal press – also only online. Lastly, he reminded attendees that donations and regular contributions are very welcome especially as the OB Rag expands its coverage of Point Loma, and in fact, is needed to cover the costs that keep the mostly-volunteer OB Rag going.

The next meeting of the Club is Sunday, May 17, at the Point Loma Assembly, 4:00 PM. The Point Loma Democrats had so many members with a 92107 zip code, they have modified their unofficial name to be “Point Loma – OB Dems”. Yes, OB need not stay away because of the Point Loma location. In fact, it was a former Point Loma Democrats’ President who sent this message to the Medical Marijuana forum: He had just received his card (from Scripps Institute, no less), but didn’t know how to find a dispensary. Advice was provided.