OFFICIALS TO SHAPE POT POLICY

Patients affected by the closure and recent raids of three San Mateo
medical marijuana dispensaries have officials meeting to form a new
countywide pot club policy, San Mateo City Manager Arne Croce told
members of the City Council last night.

The announcement came on the heels of three Aug. 29 police raids of
medical marijuana dispensaries, located at 164 South Blvd., 397 S.
Claremont St. and 60 Third Ave. Croce asked San Mateo County
Supervisor Jerry Hill to kick off the effort to form a county-wide policy.

"The County Counsel's Office will take the lead to form an ordinance
that cities and counties can adopt," Croce told the City Council.

Medical marijuana advocates gathered to protest the raids at last
night's City Council meeting and asked for assistance in easily
accessing medical marijuana. Some called on the council to pass a
non-conformity ordinance that declares the city will not comply with
federal law that prohibits all marijuana use.

Croce said the unclear law confuses San Mateo and other cities in the
county and throughout the state. Advocates were disappointed with the
city's response.

"I'm disappointed they don't recognize collectives," said Sara, a
volunteer with Americans For Safe Access who refused to give her last name.

California voters passed Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act,
in 1996, allowing for sick patients to either grow their own
marijuana or have primary caregiver grow it for them. It does not
clearly define a collective, where patients pool their resources to
provide their own marijuana. In some situations, patients grow
marijuana in shared gardens. The San Mateo clubs only dispensed marijuana.

Law enforcement officials claim the clubs were not acting as
collectives. Owners and directors of the clubs argue they are
collectives because members are pooling their money for marijuana,
providing a safe place to buy it and access to resources about using it.

Cities are stuck in the middle.

"It's a very difficult law for cities in San Mateo County to come to
grips with," Croce said.

City Attorney Shawn Mason said passing a non-conformity law declaring
that the city would not follow federal law is illegal. Instead, he
advocated working with other cities and the county to "bring some
clarity to an unclear law."

"There is a great deal of confusion," Mason said. "The service the
city and county can do is clear up what is legal," Mason said.

The council ensured residents it was working to solve the problem by
urging city staff to clarify the law.

"We listened to you very carefully," Mayor Jack Matthews told
residents last night. "All of us have been very concerned about this issue."

Hill met with county officials yesterday to kick off the group effort
toward a clarifying the law.

"If it's going to be done, it's got to be done by the law," Hill said.