MEDICAL MARIJUANA FORUM PLANNED FOR SAN LORENZO

SAN LORENZO - Local resident Brenda Carr thought an April 22
community forum on medical marijuana was informative. But she sensed
that the audience wanted even more information, she said.

So Carr has organized another forum, to be held 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday
in the Community Center Auditorium, 377 Paseo Grande.

Panelists will discuss social, economic, political and legal issues
related to the operation of marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated
communities, Carr said.

"This forum is not to promote the usage of medical marijuana," she
said. "The objective is to build bridges by providing information to
our elected officials, local law enforcement and community members.
We want community members to come. Please bring tough questions."

At the April forum, four Alameda County supervisors discussed
proposed revisions to the county's medical marijuana ordinance and
concerns surrounding medical marijuana dispensaries in the
unincorporated areas.

"It's very understandable that people will have questions about
dispensaries when they come into a community," said Dr. Amanda E.
Reiman, an administrator and lecturer at the School of Social Welfare
at UC Berkeley.

Reiman, who researched marijuana dispensaries in San Francisco and
Berkeley for her doctoral dissertation, will be one of the panelists
at Thursday's forum.

"One of my findings is that the clientele is going to reflect the
composition of the community," she said.

"I really want to open the dialogue as far as what some of the
options are for a community like San Lorenzo and what kind of model
works best."

Carr, whose son operates a medical marijuana dispensary in San Mateo
County, said San Lorenzo community members need to better understand
medical marijuana and the public policy that regulates it.

"I don't want pot clubs in my neighborhood," she said. "I want
medical marijuana clinics that provide a range of medical support services."