SHASTA COUNTY SUPERVISORS MAY EXTEND MEDICAL MARIJUANA MORATORIUM

Shasta County supervisors will consider extending a 45-day moratorium on
medical marijuana collectives for another 10 1/2 months on Tuesday.

The original moratorium, proposed by Supervisor Leonard Moty in January,
was passed on Feb. 23. Meanwhile, county staffers were asked to monitor
ongoing litigation concerning collectives in other counties and cities.

At the time, Moty said he thought it would be wise to see what the
outcomes were on pending court cases before implementing laws on medical
marijuana distribution and cultivation.

But the staff said there hasn't been any progress to report in any of the
legal cases.

Now, with an initiative on the November ballot to legalize marijuana
altogether, Moty said it makes even more sense to wait.

"At this point, common sense tells me that why would you want to spend a
bunch of county resources on a solution that could be altered or
completely thrown out by the people come November?" he said.

It would be better to stay in limbo until the rules of the game are set,
he said.

The county held two public hearings earlier this year on a proposed law
that many medical marijuana patients and caregivers said was too restrictive.

Several patients, including Joel Ankerich, said the crafters of the
ordinance should have consulted them to produce a law that would meet
their needs and address county concerns.

If passed, the moratorium would be up for an optional 12-month extension
in February 2011, according to a staff report.

The moratorium will not affect the Medicine Man Collective in Burney, the
county's only medical marijuana collective.

If you're going

What: Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting.

When: 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Where: Board chambers, 1450 Court St., Redding.

Agenda includes: Medical marijuana moratorium.