In Santa Cruz city officials passed a ban on outside smoking in public places three years ago.  But now those same city officials are thinking of a temporary lift of the ban to allow citizens to smoke marijuana in the park during an event celebrating medicinal marijuana.

The smoking ban in city parks could be lifted for the second time since it passed three years ago, as city leaders are considering allowing medical marijuana patients to light up during a festival at San Lorenzo Park at the end of the month.

“It’s not like a recreational marijuana event,” said Councilman Mike Rotkin, who supports the temporary lifting of the city’s 3-year-old ordinance that bans smoking in parks.
“It’s not a smoke-in, it’s not like the 4/20 thing up on campus,” Rotkin said.

Not a recreational event?  Maybe someone should tell the attendees.

A closed tent will be available at the festival for those who need to administer their prescription drugs, and no pot will be for sale or distributed, Rotkin said.

However, Sentinel reports from last year’s festival showed that many participants did get stoned on the lawn, and some drove in from out of town for what they considered a recreational event by the river.

Now let me be clear: I don’t really have a problem with medicinal marijuana.  I don’t have a problem with legalizing marijuana in general including for recreational use.  But I do have to marvel at the absolute hypocrisy of the nanny staters who won’t let tobacco smokers light a cigarette outside in public park (what if the children saw it!) but will lift the smoking ban temporarily for an all-out weed smoke-in.