Pubdate: Mon, 27 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: Jason Browne

MARIJUANA COMMITTEE SHOULD INCLUDE ALL

I was unable to attend Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, but
according to eye witness accounts, our Supervisors have closed the
first door to any meaningful public participation in their formation
of the committee that was promised to us at their last meeting.

When I served on such a committee years ago in Humboldt County, it was
comprised of supervisors, law enforcement representatives, patients
who use cannabis and their primary caregivers, cannabis farmers, local
physicians, defense attorneys, the district attorney, representatives
of the health department, dispensary advocates and concerned citizens.

It was also given a clear mandate, held regular public meetings and
hosted many experts from different fields that made presentations and
answered questions of the committee.

I suggest something similar be created here in Tehama County, so that
our Board of Supervisors will get accurate information and will
honestly address the medical cannabis issue.

Apparently, this new committee is comprised merely of two supervisors,
one of whom is the author of the faulty ordinance that led to the
formation of this committee in the first place.

If it holds public meetings at all, can we all expect the same timely
public notices that we're so used to with supervisor meetings - for
which the agenda is posted the night before a public meeting, on the
county Web site with no printed notice whatsoever?

It's time that our Advertisement Quantcast county government stop
hiding from democracy.

The patients who use medical cannabis probably number more than 3,000.
Most of them are in families with children, and they come from all
walks of life, from all socio-economic backgrounds and from all sides
of the political spectrum.

The brunt of the energy being directed against us seems to come from
religious zealots and concerned citizens who simply have the wrong
ideas about cannabis. And by wrong, I don't imply judgment, but rather
ideas that are not supported by facts.

For the rest of us, medical cannabis is a reality that is not going
away.

I ask our Board of Supervisors to reconsider the mandate and make-up
of this committee, for the sake of compassion and of bringing our
community together, to hear each other and to discuss the facts.

Make this thing a public process and appoint additional committee
members. I hereby volunteer to serve as a resident cannabis expert, if
you can use me.

If things don't improve, or this bad idea to name qualified
individuals as a public nuisance keeps resurfacing, we have a plan B.

Tehama Health Coalition will hold public meetings to counter the
efforts of this committee, and we will accept donations to hire an
attorney to sue Tehama County for injunctive relief.

People who wish to attend these meetings and support the rights of
patients in Tehama County, or who wish to donate attorney funds, may
contact me at P.O. box 9152, Red Bluff or email me  
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr