[420 Girl]

Fighting back against marijuana dispensaries was the topic of discussion at the Coalition for a Drug Free California's daylong planning conference on Friday.

More than 20 community leaders, elected officials and law enforcement officials met at the Ayres Hotel to discuss the reality of shutting down or stopping dispensaries, co-ops, collectives from opening.

Attorney Martin Mayer said it will be a difficult battle because those in favor of medical marijuana always have people in attendance when the issue is being discussed in meetings or in the court.

"I don't think you can organize the way your opposition is organizing, I haven't seen it," said Mayer, who serves as legal counsel to sheriffs and chiefs of police in 70 law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

More than 12 years ago, when the Assembly passed Proposition 215, which allowed possession or cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes, there were a lot of proponents financially backing it up, Mayer said.

In order to fight it, opponents of medical marijuana dispensaries such as the coalition would have to fund a new proposition, which is not financially feasible at this time, he said.

Another battle facing the organization, he said, is the law.

"Many times we wind up in court and we lose," he said.

The city of Claremont, however, was successful in temporarily stopping a dispensary by implementing a moratorium on those businesses, he said.

The court recently upheld the city's decision because Claremont was using zoning laws to implement the moratorium, Mayer said.

California Code 37100 which, Mayer described as the "silver bullet," states that only businesses that are in compliance with state and federal law are permitted.

"Stop fighting the fight, focus on the law. It's illegal and we need to be able to deal with it from that perspective," Mayer said.

The only other way to change the law, he said is if Congress voted to change marijuana into a prescription drug.

"But they won't do it," he said.

Friday's conference was a partnership between the local and statewide group and the Inland Valley Drug Free coalition, said Paul Chabot, director of the statewide group.

The statewide group was formed only four months ago to bring together all anti-drug coalitions to work together to fight back, Paul said.

Their focus is not only on the marijuana dispensaries but also alcohol abuse and illegal prescription use of teens, which is over taking the use of marijuana, he said.

The Inland Valley group was created four years, but this is the first time they are holding a conference, said Brenda Chabot, director of the local organization.

"Our main goal is to help kids get off drugs," Brenda said.

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