Pubdate: Fri, 23 May 2008
Source: Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)
Copyright: 2008 The Press Democrat
Contact: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/services/feedback.html
Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/348
Author: Mike Geniella

POT ADVOCATES CONTRIBUTE TO MENDOCINO COUNTY CAMPAIGN

UKIAH - A surge in cash contributions from Bay Area marijuana
advocates has narrowed the money gap in a hard-fought campaign over
Mendocino County's liberalized pot guidelines.

Repeal proponents under the banner of "Yes on Measure B" had a nearly
5-1 spending edge in the early weeks of a campaign aimed at ending the
county's national reputation as a haven for marijuana growers.

But a total of $26,900 in new contributions, including an $11,413
personal loan from the director of the San Francisco office of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (known as
NORML), has closed the gap for opponents of Measure B.

"We're struggling to keep up, but we're finding growing support in the
final days," said Laura Hamburg, organizer of the "No on Measure B"
campaign.

So far the No campaign has raised about $33,000, compared with a total
of about $40,000 raised by the Yes group, according to financial
documents filed Thursday by both campaigns.

Yes chairman Ross Liberty, a Ukiah businessman, said he personally has
made $10,000 in cash and "in-kind" contributions in efforts to replace
the county's current guidelines with a more restrictive state standard.

Liberty said another major contributor has been businessman Ron
McGeehee, who put up $5,000. Supporters of Measure B, who are rallying
behind the slogan "Take Back Our County," include business leaders,
law enforcement agencies, city and county officials, school
administrators and even some former advocates of the county's liberal
guidelines.

Adopted by voters in 2000 by a 58 percent-42 percent margin, current
guidelines allow individuals to possess up to 25 plants or 2 pounds of
processed marijuana. Federal law doesn't recognize the local
standards, but state and local law enforcement agencies do.

Since 2000, however, some county residents have grown angry over
surging marijuana production and related crimes and environmental damage.

Critics of Measure B argue that it unfairly targets small growers and
medical marijuana users, and provides no real ammunition for local law
enforcement to go after large commercial-growing operations.

The No on Measure B campaign is being largely underwritten by NORML,
and its executive director, Dale Geiringer. NORML has pumped in
$12,000 in cash, while Geiringer has made a personal loan of $11,413.
In addition, Geiringer recently made a $500 cash contribution.

Geiringer said his organization supports "sensible regulations to
address the problems of illicit growing in Mendocino."

"But we oppose the meat-ax approach of Measure B," said Geiringer in a
statement.
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MAP posted-by: Derek