churches and (marijuana) dispensaries

[lazarus]

so, the big rage here in California is for local governments to restrict where a dispensary for medical marijuana can be. I can sorta understand keeping them from being next to a school, although the dispensaries are MUCH tighter on checking for your medical card than convenience stores are for checking ID for cigs and beer.

For instance, my daughter bought her first pack of smokes when she was 16, no fake ID needed. Maybe they need to restrict convenience store locations.

The new thing, though, is to also say that dispensaries can't be within a certain distance of a church.

Huh?

First, if you don't know the dispensary is there, you're likely never to spot it. Here in San Diego, they don't have big neon pot leaves in the windows. I only know the location of one, and that's because I take my daughter there for her meds. And I'd still have trouble finding it, as it's located in an office building.

There's a new restriction here in San Diego. Originally, it was restricting dispensaries from operating within 1,000 feet ( !!! ) of schools, parks, churches, day-care facilities, youth centers, etc. Opponents managed to reduce it to 600 feet.

My daughter's dispensary is across a fairly large street from a church. They lucked out. By moving the weed itself to the back room, they just fit the restriction.

My question is, what possible rationale is there for keeping them away from churches? Can they not handle the temptation? Do they not wish to be reminded of the "sin"? (Even though the Bible says the Lord made herbs for man's use. :evilgrin: )

And should government be in charge of protecting these religious folks from their own temptations? Is this possibly lawsuit material?