Don’t allow medical pot in Coalinga

In response to the Jan. 9 Fresno Bee article concerning Coalinga allowing a medical marijuana dispensary. I would like to say that the 5-0 Coalinga City Council vote of approval had nothing to do with pain relief for Coalinga residents and 100 percent to do with tax revenue and budget relief for the city.

This decision does not represent the sentiments of the majority of Coalinga voters. I understand the realities of the need for pain relief. I have had back injuries and a kidney stone. I have family and friends with cancer and suffering from painful injuries and illnesses.

I would rather depend on other sources of revenue than depend on tax revenue from medical marijuana.

On the surface, a newly passed state law appears to address Californians who are in serious pain and whose only relief is medical marijuana. In reality, this is a foot in the door for legalizing drug dealers and a source of government revenue.

Coalinga is already illegally drug infested. We do not need new laws to further enable this horrible destroyer of lives and families.

This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 4:18 AM with the headline "Don’t allow medical pot in Coalinga."