MEDICAL MARIJUANA: SQAUW VALLEY COUNCIL NEXT UP TO DEBATE ZONING
RECOMMENDATION

OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. -- Squaw officials should decide this week
whether or not to join their North Tahoe counterpart in not
recommending a zoning amendment to Placer County's board of
supervisors to ban medical marijuana distribution countywide.

The Squaw Valley Municipal Advisory Committee meets at 6 p.m.
Thursday at the Squaw Valley Service District Community Meeting Room.

Jennifer Dzakowic, a planner with Placer County, will explain the
reasoning for the amendment proposed by the county planning
department, with a public comment period to follow.

In past presentations, Dzakowic said the planning department and
planning commission's desire to ban medical marijuana collectives,
cooperatives and dispensaries is based on a report by the California
Police Chief's Association labeling medicinal marijuana dispensaries
as a catalyst for crime.

She has also said the county does not have a policy in place for
medicinal marijuana business applications to be processed.

According to the planning department, of the 11 MACs asked to review
the presentation so far, two have voted to recommend the amendment to
the board of supervisors, while two more -- the North Tahoe Regional
Advisory Council and the Weimar-Applegate-Colfax MAC -- recommended
the board vote against the amendment. Other MACs declined to review
the amendment.

In its recommendations against the ban, NTRAC urged board members to
have the planning department provide definable local crime research
before a ban should be considered, while WAC recommended a moratorium
on medicinal marijuana distribution so all options could be promptly
invested.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the
issue at its April 6 meeting in Auburn.

Dzakowic has said the board has two options: To accept the proposal
and ban medicinal marijuana businesses in Placer County; or direct
the planning department and planning commission to develop zoning
ordinances that would designate and control marijuana businesses.