Councilman Jim Mulvihill of San Bernardino took the opportunity to spread a little fear mixed with a soupcon of bull-crap. The councilman was miffed about the Southern California Medical Cannabis Cup, a two-day expo held at the National Orange Show Events Center, right in San Bernardino. The event hosts about 20,000 visitors.

Open only to guests with valid MMJ authorizations, the expo offered informative seminars, retail consumption devices, and a special area wherein guests can legally use cannabis.

The councilman, touting current laws that make dispensaries illegal in the city, said, “It’s encouraging behavior that’s banned within the city of San Bernardino. I just suspect this is going to cause a big influx of individuals who use marijuana. We’re probably going to see a lot more criminal behavior because of it.”

Not only does the councilman rely on vague scare-scenarios, he does so despite research from Colorado that shows that crime actually decreased in the wake of recreational cannabis legalization.

The impasse is partially engendered by the fact that many of these pot-centric events (there are many others) are occurring on state or county-owned property, despite the illegal status of cannabis at the state/federal level.

Mulvihill never goes into why he thinks the state and local government allow these events on their property. I would think that in such cash-strapped times, they aren’t really in a position to turn down revenue. Which further poses the question of why California has not legalized recreational pot. The money legal cannabis could bring to local government alone should be enough of a reason to make it happen.

Ten years ago, if I told you that Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, and Washington D.C. legalized recreational pot BEFORE California, you’d call me crazy person.

I am legitimately baffled that California, of all places on Earth, would still be a hold out against recreational use.