Medical Marijuana Debate

Sean Fitzgerald, top, a patient consultant, describes specific hashish smoking characteristics to a patient at the Peace in Medicine dispensary in Sebastopol, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009. The lone medical marijuana dispensary in this Northern California wine country enclave has become such a pot destination that it has more patients on its rolls than the town has people. But local officials view the business as a welcome addition to the community and a strong source of tax revenue during the recession. The Peace in Medicine marijuana dispensary is a clean, modern operation occupying a recently closed Ford dealership near downtown and could easily be mistaken for a doctor's office, if not for the three security guards and overwhelming skunky smell of pot.