VOTERS HALT MEDI-POT LAW

County Verifies Petition

Last month, Citizens for Compassionate Use, a group formed in
opposition to Butte County's medical-marijuana-cultivation ordinance,
filed a petition against the law that called for it either to be
repealed or put to a popular vote. They'd gathered 12,306
signatures-7,605 were needed-and last week Candace Grubbs, Butte
County clerk-recorder/registrar of voters, validated the petition.

Citizens for Compassionate Use, working with local attorney Robert W.
MacKenzie, has submitted its own version of a cultivation ordinance
to the county. MacKenzie outlines the differences, and chief among
them are two items: That up to six plants be allowed on lots smaller
than .5 acres (not allowed in the county ordinance), but only
indoors; and that each year the county collect a statement of lawful
intent for each cultivation premises-rather than collecting each
qualified patient's recommendation.

The Board of Supervisors, which approved the ordinance in May, is
expected to discuss the referendum at its next meeting Tuesday, Aug. 9.