CLEARLAKE CITY COUNCIL SITTING OUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEBATE ... FOR NOW

The Clearlake City Council continues to take a backseat in the
state's medical marijuana movement. The council voted, April 12, to
extend its moratorium on the issuance of new business licenses for
medical marijuana dispensaries within the city, while it waits for
decisions to be made at the state level.

The moratorium has been in effect in the City of Clearlake since its
original adoption on April 13, 2006. It is now entertaining its third
extension.

The Clearlake City Council has been consistent in its refusal to take
any action that may lead to regulating the dispense of medical
marijuana within the city. "The state of the law remains unresolved
with regard to the legality of medical marijuana," City Attorney
Thomas Gibson states in his report to the council. "The issue is the
subject of litigation in other parts of the sate, and that litigation
is continuing. Until the matter is resolved staff recommends the
extension of the moratorium for so long as allowed."

Adoption of the ordinance in April 2006 placed a 45-day moratorium on
the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. On
May 25, 2006, the council voted to extend the moratorium for an
additional 10 months and 15 days in order to "provide additional time
for City staff to interpret the law," Gibson states in the report.

The latest action on the moratorium, which passed unanimously,
extends the order for an additional year. The only action taken in
the matter for the past year was on Aug. 24, 2006 when the council
decided to allow for renewal of existing business licenses.

Local business owners who currently provide medical marijuana to
prescribed patients in Clearlake have continuously encouraged the
city to establish regulations for dispensing of the medicine. Dave
McCullick, owner of D&M Compassion Center in Clearlake, was present
during the latest discussion and again offered his assistance in
setting criteria. "I encourage the council to support and develop
regulations that provide safe and legal access to medical cannabis so
patients aren't forced to access medicine in illegitimate places,"
McCullick said.

McCullick continued, "I would like to emphasize my willingness and
the willingness of my staff and our collective membership to work
with and assist the city and the council in any way we can to develop
and implement legislation beneficial not to just the medical
marijuana patients, but to the entire community as a whole."

The item was taken up as an urgency ordinance and implementation does
not require a second reading. The action by the council extends the
moratorium to April 13, 2008.