MAYORAL RACE FRETS BACKERS OF POT CLINICS

Candidates Say Future of Marijuana in Hayward Not a Leading Priority

HAYWARD -- Medical marijuana proponents consider the Hayward mayoral
election one of the "crucial" political races in California this
Tuesday, though both mayoral hopefuls beg to differ.

"It's crucial because it could determine the fate of the medical
cannabis dispensaries," said Dale Gieringer, director of the
Oakland-based Drug Policy Forum of California.

Rival candidates Brian Schott and Mike Sweeney are "diametrically
opposed" on the issue, Gieringer said.

And since the city's two permitted pot clubs are approaching the end
of their municipal operating agreements, Gieringer said the next
mayor could have a significant say on whether they stay or go.

The mayor could indeed have a say, but neither Schott nor Sweeney
considers the issue a top priority for himself or most voters. And
the positions they are espousing appear to be not so different.

In interviews, both said they would thoroughly review each club
before voting to renew any permits. Schott, however, is explicitly
opposed to the idea of having pot clubs in the city.

"I don't know why they have to be at these clandestine locations. It
just leads to problems," Schott said. "They'd have to do a very good
job of convincing me they should get their use permit renewed."

Schott alienated medical pot proponents at a campaign forum several
weeks ago when he said, "This will probably cost me some votes, but I
don't think Hayward should be in the medical marijuana business."

Sweeney, in contrast, said the city should follow state law, make
sure there is no expansion in the number of dispensaries and regulate
the existing two facilities carefully.

But when it comes to specifics, both men are promising a fairly
hard-line approach. Sweeney said he would take a "real hard" look at
the two dispensaries when their three-year agreements with the city
expire on Dec. 31.

Both clubs, the Hayward Patients Resources Center and the Local
Patients' Collaborative, are located on the same downtown stretch of
Foothill Boulevard. Club owners did not return calls for comment Thursday.

Gieringer said his organization's views on the Hayward candidates are
based on what local dispensary workers and patients gathered from
watching candidates debate one another at forums. Although the
activist group does not make formal endorsements, it offers advice on
local elections on its Web site.

The commentary paints Sweeney as reasoned and Schott as hostile to
the group's cause. Both candidates said they were not contacted by
the group. The other elections described as "crucial" are in Oakland
and San Diego County.

In fact, it may be that neither Schott nor Sweeney will have enough
political heft, if elected, to engineer any major changes to the
city's current policy.

The mayor's vote is equal to the vote of any of the six members of
the Hayward City Council, and so far those council members have been
almost unanimous on decisions allowing the two pot clubs to operate.

Five candidates are contesting two open seats on the council, but
only one of them, Hank Quintel, has said he opposes pot clubs downtown.

"I see no purpose for these marijuana clubs," Quintel said at a forum.

The Drug Policy Forum believes incumbent Councilman Kevin Dowling and
challenger Gary Steinberger are "most strongly supportive of medical
marijuana." Dowling is a past recipient of campaign contributions
from pot clubs and has said at a forum that both facilities are "well
run." The other two candidates, Robert Lopez and incumbent Councilman
Matt Jimenez, are considered by the group to be in a more vague, middle ground.

But many of the group's views are inaccurate. The same Web site
states that Assembly candidate Mary Hayashi of Castro Valley is a
registered nurse and strongly supportive of medical marijuana.

Hayashi is not a registered nurse. It states that her challenger,
Alameda County Fire Chief Bill McCammon of Pleasanton, "who is
supported by police, is opposed" to medical marijuana. Both Hayashi
and McCammon have received endorsements from law enforcement
individuals and organizations, as have Dowling, Lopez, Jimenez,
Schott and Sweeney.

It states that "medical marijuana advocates have lacked a working
majority on the Board of Supervisors due to lack of support from
incumbent Supervisor (Gail) Steele." In fact, county supervisors
spent two years developing a plan that resulted this year in the
approval of three medical marijuana clinic permits in unincorporated
areas. Steele joined other board members in developing and approving the plan.

The site states that Steele's challenger, Union City Councilman
Richard Valle, "has been a consistent supporter of medical cannabis
dispensaries in Union City." There are no dispensaries in Union City,
though Valle has consistently served as the minority vote trying to
approve them.

If officials in Hayward someday adopt Union City's no-dispensary
model, as some advocates fear, it would take a majority of elected
officials, not just a new mayor and two council members.

"The council has to decide," said Hayward City Manager Jesus Armas.
"Absent any action, (the agreements) expire."

Armas said there have been some problems involving the clinics,
including robberies at one of them.

Frustration with the glut of tattoo parlors downtown, and the social
problems critics have associated with them, caused the council to
deny a permit to a proposed new parlor late last year. If similar
frustrations arise at the end of this year, officials predict it
could influence how the council votes on renewing pot club permits.