Marijuana rescheduling is a political shortcut — not sound policy
Key takeaways
- Hong) I did not come to drug policy through politics or academia.
- I live in Pacific Beach, San Diego — a coastal community that was struggling with rising crime and a growing drug culture.
- Before we made progress shutting down those illegal shops, a new development emerged: storefronts openly selling marijuana.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Hong) I did not come to drug policy through politics or academia. My perspective was shaped by lived experience, beginning more than two decades ago in my own neighborhood.
I live in Pacific Beach, San Diego — a coastal community that was struggling with rising crime and a growing drug culture. Our business district became lined with stores openly selling drug paraphernalia, despite laws prohibiting it. Frustrated by the lack of enforcement and the visible decline of our community, residents and business owners formed a grassroots group, SavePB, to restore safety and support legitimate businesses.
Before we made progress shutting down those illegal shops, a new development emerged: storefronts openly selling marijuana. At the time, retail marijuana sales were illegal. However, California s Proposition 215 created an affirmative defense for possession, and that ambiguity was quickly exploited. Dealers began operating retail outlets under the appearance of legitimacy.