[Cali smoke]

DEL MAR, CA – A group of parents say enforcement of marijuana laws has gone up in smoke at concerts held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

“I was appalled that marijuana smoking was being done so overtly with no attempt to hide it,” said Tom Hetherington, a Carmel Valley resident who said he attended 16 concerts at the state fairgrounds this summer.

On Tuesday, Hetherington was among the parents and a drug-prevention specialist who urged board members of the 22nd District Agricultural Association, operators of the fairgrounds, to clamp down on drug and alcohol abuse at concerts.

Hetherington said at one concert he complained about the open marijuana use to a sheriff's deputy, who replied that his primary function was crowd control.

The deputy said he was reluctant to do anything because “I'd have to fight them all,” Hetherington recalled.

The parents said the lax enforcement sends a message to youths that pot smoking is tolerated at fairgrounds concerts.

Lisa Silverman, a drug-prevention specialist for the North Inland County Prevention Program, said she observed rampant pot smoking and alcohol abuse at a recent Ziggy Marley concert.

“I was offered a couple of doobies myself,” Silverman said.

Another parent complained that vendors at the fair were selling purses, T-shirts and jewelry containing images of marijuana leaves.

Tim Fennell, chief operating officer of the fairgrounds, said there is already a policy that prohibits the sale of items that promote drug use.

“That shouldn't have happened,” he said.

Because the issue was not on the board's agenda, it could not discuss the matter. However, the board agreed to consider the group's request, including a possible ban on smoking at the fairgrounds, at a future meeting.

In a telephone interview after the meeting, sheriff's Lt. Jenene Milakovich said the department enforces marijuana laws as vigilantly as it can but acknowledged that “we have to do it with officer safety in mind as well.”

“We're not there exclusively for crowd control,” she said. “Whatever comes up that requires law enforcement attention, we're there to take action.”

[mace]

Why not just show Reefer madness on the projector screens instead of concert footage?

Seriously though, i bet the cops are happy the concert goer's are all "doped" up. It's easier to manage a bunch of stoners. "hey look over there, free cookies and milk"