Does Title II of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act prevent local governments from taking action against medical marijuana outlets, thereby denying relief to seriously ill people?

No, a panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday May 21.

The three judges upheld a lower court’s denial of the relief, which had been sought against the cities of Costa Mesa and Lake Forest, both in Orange County.

Both cities have taken various actions against medical marijuana clinics; Lake Forest wants to ban clinics outright and is one several California cities, including Riverside, now before the California Supreme Court over the legality of that action.

Costa Mesa has banned clinics since 2005 but some were established in the city anyway. More recently, though, there have been police raids and other actions against dispensaries.

You can Find the Full case James v. Costa Mesa and opinion here.

Read More http://blog.pe.com/crime-blotter/2012/05/22/ada-not-a-path-to-medical-marijuana-u-s-9th-circuit-rules/