Judges Rule Medical Pot Not Protected by Federal Act
On Monday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that medical marijuana users cannot use a federal disability law to argue against the shuttering of medical marijuana dispensaries. Medical marijuana advocates had alleged that the cities of Costa Mesa and Lake Forest in Orange County violated the Americans With Disabilities Act by closing the dispensaries. Judge Raymond Fisher wrote, "We recognize that the federal government's views on the wisdom of restricting medical marijuana use may be evolving," but "for now Congress has determined that, for purposes of federal law, marijuana is unacceptable for medical use."
- "Medical Pot Not Protected by Disabilities Act, 9th Circuit Rules" (Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 5/22).
- "Court Upholds City's Right To Ban Pot Dispensaries" (Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 5/22).