CANNABIS EXPERTS AND ACTIVISTS HOLDING MARIJUANA HEALTH AND SAFETY FORUM IN SOUTHERN HUMBOLDT

Medical marijuana advocates are hoping to give the Humboldt County
cannabis industry the tools to navigate a post-legalization world.

The Civil Liberties Monitoring Project is presenting a forum June 19
in Garberville, entitled "Cannabis Health and Safety: The Chemistry,
The Economics and the Politics."

The forum features experts from California and Montana who have
taken a "transparent" business approach to cultivating and
dispensing marijuana. The Garberville Veterans Association is
co-sponsoring this presentation, and the event starts at 7 p.m.
at Veterans Hall.

Sierra Knolle, a member the Medical Cannabis Safety Council and an
organizer of the event, said the intention of the forum is to create
a positive outlet for people to share their ideas.

"The intention is not to promote legalization," she said. "But,
should things become legal, these are some of the things you can create."

The forum comes after pot activists, growers, officials and members
of the business community met in March to discuss what Humboldt
County will do if pot is legalized. Part of the discussion focused
on regulating the general marijuana industry as a
solution. Similarly, the forum next week is focusing on what
the medical marijuana industry can do.

The Medical Cannabis Safety Council that Knolle serves on is made up
of patients, dispensary owners, advocates and growers who want to
create industry-wide regulations to address issues, such as
contaminations and good-neighbor relations.

One of the keynote speakers at the forum, Michael Geci, performs
tests on medical cannabis at his lab in Montana to identify potency
and determine the optimal strength for individual patients, Knolle
said. Geci, a longtime emergency room and holistic medicine doctor,
is the founder of the Montana Botanical Analysis Lab.

The other keynote speaker is Montana Public Radio commentator and
lobbyist Kate Cholewa.

Nolle said both speakers have extensive knowledge about the
"mainstream" cannabis industry in Montana -- which has some lessons
that could be applied to Humboldt and California in general.

"California is supposedly taking the lead in the medical cannabis
movement. It's really interesting and inspiring to hear what other
states are doing and see how successful they are," she said.

Other panelists include local attorney Ed Denson, California NORML
deputy director Ellen Komp, and Darryl Cherney, a board member of
Southern Humboldt Community Hospital. Syreeta Lux and Charley Custer
of the Humboldt Medical Marijuana Advisory Panel and Kellie Dodds
of 707 Cannabis College will also give brief introductions of their
newly-formed organizations.

Custer said he hopes this conversation will help the local industry
develop a plan for regulation, so that when policymakers are ready
to address the issue, there will already be a plan in place.

In addition, he said other officials in California have already
begun looking at how the marijuana industry can be transformed into
a big money industry. And Humboldt needs to catch up, Custer said.

"Were not doing anything -- were being cut out of the evolving
market," he said.

For more information, contact CLMP at 923-4646 or visit
www.civilliberties.org .

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IF YOU GO:

What: "Cannabis Health and Safety: The Chemistry, The Economics and
the Politics" forum

Where: Veterans Hall, 483 Conger, Garberville

When: June 19, doors open at 6:30 p.m., program begins at 7 p.m.