Pubdate: Tue, 08 Dec 2009
Source: Santa Maria Times (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Lee Central Coast Newspapers
Contact: http://www.santamariatimes.com/contact/letter/
Website: http://www.santamariatimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/396
Author: Sam Womak
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

SUPERVISORS MOVE TO HALT POT CLINICS

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors made the  first move to
regulate medical marijuana dispensaries  and control cigarette smoke
and associated litter at  county parks and beaches Tuesday in its
final meeting  of 2009.

Banning tobacco use on beaches and in parks seemed to  be a no-brainer
with the supervisors, county staff and  the handful of people in the
audience, with all  agreeing that such an ordinance could only enhance
  recreational areas.

The only hitch in the pot clinic discussion, according  to the
comments from the supervisors, was that the  county's attorneys
couldn't throw together the wording  for a moratorium quickly enough.

Supervisor Salud Carbajal, representing the 1st  District -- which has
two pot dispensaries in  Summerland -- said if it was a matter of
being  short-staffed, then County Counsel Dennis Marshall  should
contract the work out to a private law firm.

The relatively lavish offer, considering the county's  financial woes,
was eventually discarded and Marshall  promised to bring an ordinance
to the board by Jan. 19.

Most cities in the county have adopted bans against  store-front
marijuana dispensaries, leaving areas in  county jurisdiction
vulnerable because there is no  county code addressing the alternative
drug clinics.

"We're not talking about the medicinal use of  marijuana," clarified
2nd District Supervisor Janet  Wolf, who sponsored the item with 4th
District  Supervisor Joni Gray. Gray was absent Tuesday with a  cold.

"We're talking about the marijuana dispensaries in the  community and
the lack of zoning we have ... hence the  possible proliferation of
dispensaries in our community  and especially the unincorporated
areas," Wolf said.

The county Planning and Development Department treats  pot clinics the
same as pharmacies, so if a retail  space is already zoned commercial,
then a marijuana  dispensary can move in with a lease agreement,
according to county staff.

If only minimal changes in the building are proposed,  then a permit
application can be processed over the  counter, without the approval
of appointed or elected  county officials.

A moratorium, which is what the Board of Supervisors  has initially
proposed, would put a temporary ban on  any new medical marijuana clinics.

Several residents in the unincorporated county strongly  urged the
board to adopt a moratorium as soon as  possible.

There were also a handful of locals who believe in the  need for
marijuana dispensaries, but acknowledged that  the current system's
lack of regulation is troubling.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown listed some of  the crimes
that have been associated with pot clinics  in the recent past, which
include homicide, robbery,  assault, rape and illegal drug sales and
consumption.

"The whole field is really fraught with problems,"  Brown
said.

The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0, with Gray absent,  to bring back a
proposed urgency ordinance placing a  moratorium on storefront medical
marijuana dispensary  at its Jan. 19 meeting.

A similar decision was made on tobacco products on  county parks and
beaches after hearing from county  staff and community groups about
the massive number of  cigarette butts that are collected from public
sites  each year.

According to county Public Health staff, Waller Park in  Santa Maria
topped the charts on cigarette litter with  more than 1,600 butts
picked up in one week in 2008.

The board voted 4-0 to put the matter of a ban before  the Park
Commission, which meets 9:30 a.m. Thursday at  the Cachuma Lake
Recreation Hall at 2225 Highway 154.  For more information, call 568-2461.

The item will return to the board at a future date with
recommendations on an ordinance.

The supervisors will be on vacation until their next  meeting Jan. 5
in Santa Barbara. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D