REACTION VARIES ON POT CLINIC PROPOSAL

A proposal to open Calaveras County's first medical marijuana dispensary in
San Andreas drew mixed reaction yesterday.

Some county residents said such a business was long overdue. Others
criticized the location, near the county's 4-H office.

Kim Cue last week applied to open a cannabis club at Highway 49 and
Mountain Ranch Road and only 20 feet from the county 4-H administration office.

Citing concerns over the proposed location and how to regulate the
business, Calaveras County supervisors Monday voted to prohibit any clubs
from opening for 45 days. Supervisors said they would work with the
Sheriff's Department and the county counsel to devise a plan to regulate clubs.

Cue did not respond to calls for comment.

Marijuana dispensaries became legal under state law in 1996, after
California voters passed Proposition 215. Although federal laws prohibit
the use of marijuana for any purpose, the initiative allows harvest and
sale of limited amounts of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

"It could be a little further away," said Valerie Young, a coordinator who
works at the 4-H office.

Young said middle school-aged children commonly hang out near the building
after school and sometimes accompany their parents to the administrative
office.

"I would rather they order it online and not have these outlets," said
Karen Riley, an assistant at the office.

But several residents and two county workers near the site, said they did
not foresee any problems with a cannabis club, as long as it is regulated.

"It doesn't bother me a bit," said County Surveyor Bruce Child Jr., who
works in the same building as the 4-H workers. "We'll probably have better
law enforcement here than we've ever had."

Some residents said it was about time the county had a place to legally buy
marijuana.

"By all means, open it," said Richard Kline, who said he uses cannabis to
relieve pain associated with his lung and liver cancer. "The voters of
California overwhelming approved (medical marijuana). We want it."

Kline said several doctors have rejected his requests for a medical
marijuana recommendation, adding that he thought they were afraid to
prescribe it.

"A lot of people up here need (medical marijuana)," said Caleb Miles,
co-owner of Hemptation, a business that sells smoking pipes and
accessories. Miles said he receives questions each day from sick residents
about where to find it.

County officials, including Sheriff Dennis Downum and County Counsel James
Jones, said they will use the next 45 days to review plans devised by other
towns regarding cannabis clubs. Officials might suggest how close to
schools or churches the clubs can operate. They will also review how much
marijuana the clubs can harvest and sell.

"This is a whole new ballgame for us," Downum said Tuesday, adding his
department will have to balance conflicting state and federal laws
regarding the sale of marijuana.

Earlier this month, the Angels Camp City Council adopted an ordinance
prohibiting cannabis clubs from operating within 1,000 feet of schools or
any youth-oriented establishments. The ordinance also banned clubs from
opening in residential areas or within 1,000 feet of another cannabis club.