SHASTA COUNTY EXTENDS MEDICAL MARIJUANA MORATORIUM

Shasta County Board of Supervisors is expected to extend the medical
marijuana moratorium today. Now they're concerned that a initiative to
legalize all pot in California would render moot anything they enact.

A moratorium on medical marijuana collectives in the unincorporated
areas of Shasta County was extended for another 10 months and 15 days
on Tuesday.

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved extending
the urgency ordinance, which was enacted in February after two public
hearings on a proposed medical marijuana distribution and cultivation
ordinance.

During those hearings on the proposed law medical marijuana patients
and caregivers said it was too restrictive and they should have been
consulted during the process. The ordinance was not passed.

Supervisor Leonard Moty, who proposed the moratorium, said Tuesday it
wouldn't make sense to adopt a new law now, when there are several
medical marijuana laws being challenged in the courts and an
initiative that would legalize all marijuana is slated for the
November ballot.

A staff report said no precedent-setting legal rulings on medical
marijuana cases had surfaced during the original 45 days of the moratorium.

Richard Simon, assistant director of the Shasta County Department of
Resource Management, said the ordinance could be extended 10 months
and 15 days. After that time elapses it could be extended for another
full year, he said.

Despite his suggestion to hold off on adopting new medical marijuana
rules, Moty said he feels "very strongly we need to have some very
restrictive ordinances in place to deal with this issue." No one
addressed the board during the public hearing.

The board also authorized the Shasta County Sheriff's Office to lease
rooftop and ground space at the Shasta County jail for cellular panels
and related equipment installation. The county will consider proposals
to lease the property on May 4.