COUNTY ENDS REGULATION OF MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

Kern County supervisors repealed an ordinance Tuesday that limited
and controlled the number of medical marijuana dispensaries that
could open here in Kern County.

The split vote, with Supervisor Mike Maggard objecting, followed a
long question session with county attorney John Irby, who has tracked
the legal fate of California's controversial marijuana law.

Irby said the dispensaries the board is familiar with -- six were
allowed under county ordinance -- won't come back.

He said the dispensaries are now clearly illegal under guidelines set
by California Attorney General Jerry Brown.

It isn't a place where the public can come and buy the medicine," Irby said.

Sheriff Donny Youngblood said he's gotten messages from people saying
they plan to reopen dispensaries.

I want to make sure they are clear," Youngblood said. "Dispensaries
are illegal. You're going to go to jail."

Under the guidelines, Irby said, medical marijuana patients can
obtain pot only from a growing collective they are a member of or
from a direct caregiver.

Supervisor Mike Maggard said he's worried "cooperatives" that grow
pot for their members could grow massive amounts of pot, creating a
security problem for neighborhoods.

Irby said large cooperatives create a greater risk that illegal sales
would happen and the cooperative would be shut down.

By nature those cooperatives would remain smaller, Irby said.

Supervisor Michael Rubio said Irby's presentation creates more
concern than comfort for him.

"It's going to tax law enforcement now to track down a lot of these
issues," he said.