SHASTA COUNTY SUPERVISORS PUT OFF DECISION ON MEDICAL POT RESTRICTIONS

Hillary Criner discusses medical marijuana issues with Bob Walker
outside the Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting at the County
Administration Building on Tuesday. The supervisors continued their
public hearing on a proposed medical marijuana ordinance after at
least two hours of comments. The ordinance restricts how large
outdoor grows can be and imposes use permits on collectives.

After listening to hours of public comments that included threats of
lawsuits, Shasta County supervisors Tuesday put off voting on
proposed new medical marijuana laws for at least two weeks.

The comments will continue at the board's Feb. 23 meeting, where
supervisors also will discuss a 45-day moratorium on medical
marijuana dispensaries proposed by Supervisor Leonard Moty.

About 16 people spoke during the public comment period Tuesday with
the majority in disagreement with the regulations outlined in the ordinance.

The ordinance was developed by the county Planning Commission in
conjunction with several other county departments after the
supervisors turned down a proposed 45-day moratorium on medical
marijuana dispensaries in November.

Before Tuesday's meeting, about 20 demonstrators stood outside the
County Administration Building protesting the ordinance.

One of the medical marijuana advocates' biggest complaints was that
no medical marijuana patients or collective owners were consulted
during the planning process.

Gina Munday, who runs the Green Heart Collective in Anderson, said
the planning department should have talked to those who know about
medical marijuana cultivation before crafting the ordinance.

The new ordinance includes zoning and permit requirements, as well
as restrictions on how much and where marijuana can be grown. For a
parcel 1 acre or smaller, the grow area cannot exceed 60 square feet
and for a parcel larger than 1 acre, it cannot exceed 240 square
feet, Senior Planner Lisa Lozier said.

"What justifies the 60 square feet?" Munday asked. "Anyone who knows
about growing medical marijuana knows I need more room than that to
grow my legal allotment."

James Benno, who is part of the Shasta County Collective Members
Association, said he considered the regulations unconstitutional.

"We the people have spoken and we are here to stay," he said of the
passage of Proposition 215 and Senate Bill 420.

Benno said the supervisors should be removed from office if they
pass the ordinance.

Others threatened lawsuits against the county if the ordinance is passed.

"We will take this all the way to the Supreme Court," said Rodney
Jones, a former Anderson City Council board member and fire marshal.

Peter Scales, a Jones Valley resident, spoke out against medical
marijuana and gave several colorful examples of when he was injured
and did not turn to medical marijuana for pain relief.

"America was not built on stoners," he said.

During board discussion, Moty said he didn't think the ordinance was
restrictive enough and he thought more discussion needed to happen
before a decision was made. He also proposed the board adopt a
45-day moratorium to prevent any collectives from opening in
unincorporated areas of the county before an ordinance is adopted.

There are currently no collectives operating in the unincorporated
areas of the county, Director of Resource Management Russ Mull said on Friday.

Supervisor Les Baugh asked Lozier if she felt the ordinance
addressed the intent of the Compassionate Use Act.

She said yes but conceded she is not a patient or an expert on
medical marijuana.

The public hearing will be continued at the Feb. 23 meeting of the
Board of Supervisors. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the board
chambers at the County Administration Building, 1450 Court St. in Redding.