COUNCIL COULD EXTEND MEDICAL MARIJUANA MORATORIUM

The Morgan Hill City Council will decide whether it will allow
medical marijuana clubs to sprout up around the city during its
Wednesday evening council meeting.

While pot clubs are non-existent in South County, Morgan Hill City
Manager Ed Tewes' office and the Morgan Hill Police Department hope
to keep it that way.

While the use of marijuana for medical purpose is still illegal under
federal law, it is legal under state law. The conflict among both
laws was evident when the federal government shut down clubs in the
East and North Bay last fall.

According to Morgan Hill police Cmdr. David Swing, the department
recommends that the city extend the current prohibition or moratorium
for another year, granted by state law.

Last March, the city imposed a 45-day moratorium that was set to
expire April 21, 2007, but the city opted to enforce a state law that
allows cities to extend that period by 10 months and 15 days.

"We think we agree with the recommendation to continue to ban
dispensaries," Morgan Hill Police Cmdr. David Swing. "The current
positions with the federal and state laws pose a challenge for the
city."

The department has also noted to the city that a pot club in the city
will increase violence in the community and call for service from a
department that is already low on staff, Swing said.

According to Brian Stott, Tewes' assisstant, the shortage of Morgan
Hill police plays a large role in the decision to keep the clubs out
of the city.

"What we have is a shortage of police and they're already working
hard enough," Stott said. "There aren't any clubs in the South County
and we as a city feel that it isn't appropriate for Morgan Hill to be
a hub."

Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate agrees with the department's
concern.

"I think we need to continue that," said Tate pertaining to the
current ban on marijuana dispensaries. "Everybody doesn't want it and
we don't need to buck against it."

If you drive a little south of Morgan Hill, you can stop into two
medical pot clubs in Santa Cruz, which opened their doors in 2006.

Over the past two years, the Surf City has bragged to have no serious
crime surrounding its new pot clubs as it requires consistent police
inspections.

Last spring, the Morgan Hill City council extended the research and
discussion of medical pot clubs and the impact they bring to their
surrounding community.