OAKLAND CUTS ALLOWABLE MEDICAL POT PLANT GARDENS IN HALF

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The City Council voted Tuesday night cut in half the
number of plants a medical marijuana grower can cultivate but left the
limit at a still sizable garden of up to 72 plants.

The vote cuts the legal limit from its current 144 plants.

Council President Ignacio De La Fuente wanted to chop the crop to 10
plants, but hashed out a compromise with local medical marijuana advocates.
The new rules passed on a 6-0 vote, with two members abstaining.

Medical marijuana advocates said the stricter limits mean about 20 percent
of local medical marijuana users will not be able to grow enough pot to
meet their needs.

"The reason we agreed is because we were forced to," Jeff Jones, executive
director of the Oakland of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative, told
the Oakland Tribune.

Oakland approved the 144 plant limit in 1998. With the changes, people who
get a doctor's recommendation to use marijuana for their illnesses can grow
20 plants outdoors. Alternatively, they could grow on up to 32 square feet
of inside space enough for about 72 small plants or around 60 mature plants.

Outdoor marijuana plants produce an average yield around 5 ounces in
California annually, according to a city staff report. The report said
indoor plants can produce up to 3 ounces and be harvested three times a year.