FORTUNA CITY COUNCIL SIDES WITH POLICE CHIEF ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

FORTUNA -- The Fortuna City Council agreed with Police Chief Kent Bradshaw
about the city's position on the medical marijuana guidelines the Humboldt
County Board of Supervisors will be discussing today.

All four council members and the mayor said Bradshaw should tell the Board
of Supervisors Fortuna's position: Do not enact an ordinance that would
allow medical marijuana patients to possess up to 99 plants and up to 3
pounds of processed pot.

The council said the county should uphold state law, SB 420, and not enact
the 99-plant ordinance put in place by Humboldt County District Attorney
Paul Gallegos last year.

SB 420 went into effect Jan.1 and allows medical marijuana patients to
possess a maximum 8 ounces of processed pot and six mature plants or 12
immature plants.

Seven people spoke during public comment, five advocating for the District
Attorney's Office guidelines and two against them.

One of the people in favor of the guidelines was Dr. Jay Cavanaugh of West
Hills, Calif. He said police officers shouldn't be in a position to
determine the needs of a patient.

"It's no longer a law enforcement issue," Cavanaugh said. "It's a health
issue."

The council members' comments ranged from Councilman Tom Cooke not taking a
position to Councilman Dean Glaser taking a strong one.

Glaser said he watched his generation "deteriorate" by people with drug
agendas.

"They find liberal judges. They find easy, accessible, liberal,
smoke-potty, pro-agenda, cannibalist doctors that will sign a 215 card,"
Glaser said.

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will be discussing the guidelines
around 9:20 a.m. today