Pubdate: Mon, 06 Jul 2009 Source: Red Bluff Daily News (CA) Copyright: 2009 Red Bluff Daily News Contact: http://redbluffdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1079 Author: Richard Mazzucchi Note: Richard Mazzucchi is a retired research engineer specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. He has travelled extensively and now makes his home in Los Molinos, where he is striving to manifest a sustainable and spiritual lifestyle. Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?161 (Cannabis - Regulation) TO GROW OR NOT TO GROW? The Tehama County supervisors are considering an ordinance that tightens local medicinal marijuana restrictions. Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, and allows the possession of 12 immature marijuana plants, six mature plants or half-a-pound of dried, processed marijuana if the person in question has a doctor's recommendation. Counties are not allowed to pass guidelines that lower these amounts, but can raise the limit or pass other ordinances related to the cultivation of marijuana. The ordinance crafted by Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams is based on a similar ordinance in Mendocino County. It would limit licensed medical marijuana users to 25 plants while requiring marijuana gardens to be surrounded by six-foot fences and located no less than 1,000 feet from schools or day care centers, school bus stops and other places where minors gather. It would also require marijuana harvesters to register with the county Public Health Department. Apparently a growing number of locals are afraid of a rash of incidents like the January shooting of Clarence Puckett, who, along with his wife, had been growing marijuana in a Los Molinos residence. In this isolated case several suspects, including a 17-year-old boy, allegedly broke in and demanded money and marijuana before killing Puckett and stealing several pounds of marijuana. The hypothesis of the ordinance is that by requiring increased security and moving the facilities away from children, medical marijuana theft will be less likely. In addition to the potential for theft, Williams' ordinance mentions the higher amounts of electricity associated with indoor growth and the potential for improper pesticide disposal as reasons for keeping a list of medical marijuana gardens. I'm not sure what the supervisors may be smoking, but it certainly isn't medicinal marijuana. These restrictions, if imposed, would deprive many patients of a safe and private source of their medication. Requiring registration and elaborate security measures will only serve to highlight where marijuana is grown and contribute to illegal attempts to steal it. Making it illegal to grow within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop basically makes it illegal to grow in nearly all urban environments, and most rural ones. Higher electrical use by indoor growers should be of no concern to the public so long as the power is paid for and used safely. In addition, pesticide disposal problems are minor for small time growers, particularly in relation to their widespread agricultural use in Tehama County. It would appear that the supporters of this ordinance are making an ill-fated attempt to deny medicinal marijuana patients access to their medication. Similar actions have been successfully challenged in court because of their unnecessary restrictions. Rather than further regulate marijuana cultivation, it is more productive to legalize adult marijuana use in order to address public safety concerns. As an added benefit the state budget crisis would be eased by taxing legal recreational use. Police, court and incarceration costs would be significantly reduced, and a renewed respect for reasonable drug policies would manifest. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom