SACRAMENTO COUNTY TAKES AIM AT POT SHOPS

Sacramento County code enforcement officials are seeking to shutter or
ban a dozen medical marijuana dispensaries that are operating in the
county or seeking to open.

The county sent out letters March 26 to businesses that "may be
selling and/or dispensing marijuana." It ordered them to "voluntarily
cease," contending that pot shops violate county zoning laws.

The crackdown opens a second major front in the Sacramento region's
effort to control the spread of marijuana dispensaries.

In Sacramento, where a City Council committee meets on the issue
tonight, officials are considering an ordinance to cut the number of
registered pot clubs in the city from 39 to 12 and set strict limits
on their operations.

Around the state, city and county governments are grappling in diverse
ways with how to regulate marijuana dispensaries. Los Angeles passed
an ordinance to shutter hundreds of pot shops. Voters in Oakland
approved a special levy to reap tax benefits from dispensaries. A
court challenge to an Anaheim ban may determine whether municipalities
can keep them out altogether.

Sacramento County's position is that zoning laws for the
unincorporated region simply don't allow marijuana businesses. It is
stepping up efforts to ban pot clubs after an informal inventory found
that several had been licensed by the county under what officials say
were false pretenses.

County spokeswoman Chris Andis said businesses that never identified
themselves as marijuana dispensaries took out licenses for such things
as "natural living consulting," "florist" and "gardening education."
Some businesses were targeted after complaints from neighbors.

To the county, they're all the same: illegal pot businesses.

"There is no zoning code that provides for the dispensing of marijuana
in the unincorporated county," Andis said. "And the objective is to
bring these businesses into compliance with Sacramento County zoning
laws."

The county is seeking to revoke the licenses of five businesses
operating as dispensaries and close others that have no license at
all.

Paul Hahn, administrator for the county Municipal Services Agency,
said officials don't know precisely how many dispensaries have opened
in the unincorporated area.

"We continue to hear from people in the community on a regular basis
where they suspect something is happening," Hahn said. "They seem to
be proliferating in the unincorporated area, and that is an issue we
want to get under control."

The dozen letters sent out by the county said properties would be
inspected within 15 days, and pot shops could be subject to a public
hearing to declare them "a public nuisance."

The letters threatened legal action, revocation of operating permits
and referral to District Attorney Jan Scully for criminal
prosecution.

Paul Lamberty, who operates the Indicare Collective on Auburn
Boulevard, said he was surprised by the notice.

"They're more addressed to our landlords than us," he said. "Some
landlords are panicking, and some are standing by us."

He declined additional comment, referring questions to an attorney
working with some of the businesses.

Hahn said some dispensary notices targeted planned clubs that have yet
to open. But not all letters threatening action against purported
marijuana shops wound up at the correct address.

One notice was inadvertently delivered to Custom Fireside, an Auburn
Boulevard store that specializes in fireplace wood and gas stoves.

"We're not opening one here," said employee Marcus Daniels. "Not
us."