COUNTY OK'S APPLYING FOR GRANT TO FUND COMMET

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Tuesday authorized the
Sheriff's Office to apply for a $118,905 grant from the Governor's
Office of Emergency Services to continue to fund the County of
Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team.

The item was pulled from the board's consent calendar, a portion of
the meeting agenda considered to be routine and non-controversial, by
Supervisor John Pinches to allow for public discussion because of
interest generated on the topic.

A number of marijuana proponents who attended the meeting were
concerned that Measure G, a voter initiative passed in 2000 indicating
marijuana enforcement should be the lowest priority of local law
enforcement, was being superseded by continuing programs such as COMMET.

"Since (the measure passed), every sheriff, every district attorney
and every Board of Supervisors has acted as if Measure G did not
exist," Richard Johnson, former manager of the Measure G campaign,
said during public comment. "Most prominently, they have applied for
an annual grant from the State Justice Department for more than
$100,000 in order to fund a self-styled, marijuana eradication team."

County Counsel Jeanine Nadel, however, said the sheriff is mandated to
enforce state laws related to the cultivation and sale of illegal marijuana.

"You don't have the ability to interfere with his discretion to
conduct law enforcement activities, nor do you have the ability to
interfere with the district attorney's discretion Advertisement [Click
Here] in prosecuting cases," she told the supervisors.

Sheriff Tom Allman said continuing to fund COMMET -- the grant would
provide the salary for one sheriff's sergeant for a year -- would
allow his office to focus on large grows that do not comply with Prop.
215, the state's provision for medical marijuana, as well as allow for
the investigation of marijuana on Forest Service land and timberland.

The application for the grant, which the county has received for the
past several years, states that "the rural nature of Mendocino County,
along with large tracts of corporate forestlands and remote public
lands, along with the soil conditions makes these areas of the county
prime marijuana cultivation lands."

"I'm not going to take medical marijuana away from legitimate
patients," Allman said, adding that he was willing to take
responsibility for ensuring parameters would be put on COMMET.

"I would ask that you allow the Sheriff's Office to accept this money
this year, and next year, if I haven't followed through with my
obligation to support medical marijuana, then at that time, look at me
in the eyes and say you can't give the support to a COMMET grant,"
Allman said.

Dane Wilkins, executive director of the Northern California division
of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said he
was supportive of Allman and willing to work with him on the issue.

A small board -- Supervisors David Colfax and Michael Delbar were
absent by pre-arrangement -- unanimously approved the submission of
the grant application.

Pinches, who had opposed similar applications in the past, said he was
supportive of COMMET, because in his view, until marijuana can be
legalized, taxed and regulated, problems related to marijuana
cultivation and its sale will persist.

Supervisor Jim Wattenburger agreed, adding that "if we want all hell
to break loose in this county, take away local control and allow the
feds to run rampant here," a possible outcome Allman said could result
from local officials not enforcing the law.