THE SMOKE BEGINS TO CLEAR ON MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

Like bowling pins, the number of medical marijuana clinics in
unincorporated areas continues to tumble.

A Natural Source on Foothill Boulevard in Ashland closes Friday. And
in three weeks, after new boundaries are effective for medical
marijuana dispensary sales areas, a lottery will result in either an
Ashland or Cherryland cannabis club biting the dust. None of which
will happen too soon for sheriff's Capt. Dale Amaral, who has the
"law" part taken care of and now would like to see just a little "order."

Amaral is in charge of issuing and regulating three prized permits
for medical marijuana sales in Ashland, Castro Valley, Cherryland and
San Lorenzo.

The lottery, he acknowledged Monday, has him a little concerned.
"We've asked the county counsel what procedure we should follow,"
Amaral said. "I sure don't want how we conduct the lottery to be
litigated. We need to know how it's been conducted here in the past,
or what they recommend."

Two years ago, the unincorporated areas had seven cannabis clubs. In
2004, county supervisors began a process to regulate them, including
limits on the number of clubs and stringent permit procedures. Now,
five clubs are operating, and three area permits are available.

County supervisors did not adopt a map defining the areas until last
Tuesday, to accommodate a boundary shift between two areas.
We Are Hemp on Lewelling Boulevard in San Lorenzo is the only
dispensary to win permit approval for Area One: San Lorenzo and
north-central Cherryland.

The Garden of Eden dispensary on Foothill Boulevard in south
Cherryland has been added to east Ashland-Castro Valley, known as Area
Three.

Amaral said the Garden of Eden has almost completed its background
checks, most notably security conditions at its building, and
"appears to qualify for" the Area Three permit. A Natural Source's
closure will leave the Garden of Eden as the only outlet in Area
Three.

Area Two, northwest Ashland and south Cherryland, is left with two
dispensaries: the Alameda County Resource Center in Ashland and
Compassionate Caregivers of Alameda County of Cherryland. These
businesses have passed preliminary reviews to qualify for the lottery.