TRINIDAD CHIEF EXPLAINS MEDICAL POT DECISION

TRINIDAD -- Chief of Police Kenneth Thrailkill said a conversation with
District Attorney Paul Gallegos led him to drop his effort to have the City
Council adopt medical marijuana guidelines.

Thrailkill had put an item on the agenda for Wednesday night's meeting
asking the City Council to adopt limits on how much cannabis a patient
under the Compassionate Marijuana Act can cultivate and possess.

Thrailkill said last week he was concerned that the prosecution guidelines
Gallegos was following were too liberal. He wanted the City Council to
adopt limits for Trinidad -- which recent legislation allows cities to do
- -- that meshed with state guidelines.

Gallegos has recently backed off from his more liberal limits and has said
he will adhere to the state guidelines while a task force the county Board
of Supervisors appointed completes its work.

The task force is expected to make a recommendation to the board for
countywide guidelines by early June.

Thrailkill said Gallegos assured him on Tuesday that prosecutors will
follow the state's guidelines until the county adopts its own.

"I sat down with Paul Tuesday morning to get clarification on his
guidelines," Thrailkill said Thursday. "I want to give the task force time
to complete its work."

Gallegos could not be reached for comment on Thursday.