Big brother? Please. I'm the one arguing for local control. You're arguing for the status quo. No regulation means the DEA riding around the state like cowboys, while the staties twist in the political winds every four years. A certain level of regulation is unavoidable. Dispensaries are going to be like any other businesses in our state, and that means codes, taxes and yes, regulation. It is not realistic to expect to operate a retail business without having to comply with laws facing other businesses. The best thing that can be done to this bill is to amend it to ameliorate the intolerable, while introducing new language to provide additional protections for patients. Delay and improve, but killing it is risky: the next time a bill comes up, there's no guarantee the sponsors will be willing to make the same concessions.

In November, the State House is going to switch over to Republican control, meaning they will set the legislative agenda and Republican lawmakers will write the next medical marijuana bill. We've got seven months to get dispensaries written into law if we want to be sure of keeping them. All bets are off after that. I can't underscore this last bit enough: in seven months, the window for ANY positive legislation, ANY chance to legitimize dispensaries in the state will close. We have time, but not to waste.