Pubdate: Tue, 18 May 2010
Source: Lassen County Times (CA)
Copyright: 2010 Feather Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact: http://www.lassennews.com/email_us.edi
Website: http://www.lassennews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3871
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

PUBLIC OPINION MIXED ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA

May 18, 2010 -- One might think the residents of  conservative Lassen 
County would whole-heartedly oppose  medical marijuana cultivation 
and distribution in our  corner of Northeastern California.

But if the public comments offered at a study session  for the Lassen 
County Board of Supervisors at Jensen  Hall on Tuesday, May 11 are 
any indication, many local  residents are not bothered by the medical 
use of the  drug.

Some of the comments focused on the conflict between  the state and 
the federal government and an  individual's ability to exercise 
activities that are  legal under state law, but will apparently be 
prohibited under the new emergency county ordinances.  Residents also 
argued the drug users do not have the  right to disrupt their 
neighborhoods, influence their  children and display a druggy 
lifestyle they believe is  unacceptable.

Near the end of the meeting, Lassen County District 2  Supervisor Jim 
Chapman noted the board received 18  comments from those in favor of 
medical marijuana and  eight comments from those who opposed the use 
of the  drug. Those offering comments were equally passionate  about 
their opinions -- regardless of their position on  the issue. Most of 
the residents who offered comments  received applause at the end of 
their statements.

Lassen County Assistant Sheriff Dean Growden, who  represented Lassen 
County Sheriff Steve Warren at the  meeting, said the sheriff's 
position is that marijuana  dispensaries and cultivation sites lead 
to potential  secondary public safety threats with such as 
an  increased risk of armed robbery, burglary, traffic,  noise, drug 
dealing and fire as well as the use of  unauthorized recommendations 
and exposing minors to  marijuana.

Public comment

Dr. Hal Meadows, speaking as an individual physician  and not as the 
chief medical officer at Banner Lassen  Hospital, said he's been in 
practice for 31 years in  Susanville, and he has never written a 
single medical  marijuana recommendation. Meadows conceded other 
doctors in the community whom he respects have a  different opinion 
about medical marijuana.

"I don't believe it to be a particularly good drug,"  Meadows said.

Commenting on a recent newspaper advertisement, he also  said he 
doesn't believe all the claims about the  illnesses that can be cured 
by the drug. The doctor  said he didn't want to take marijuana away 
from people  who say it works for them, but he said it is "an 
intoxicant" that has an "abuse potential and a  dependence potential."

Meadows encouraged the board to "make it hard" to  obtain medical 
marijuana in Lassen County, and the  board should "push it into a corner."

As a school board member, Meadows said he's observed  students who 
use marijuana lose their motivation, and  their chances of success in 
school decrease once they  start smoking it.

But John Moore, Sr., a medical marijuana user, said  using the 
medical marijuana helps his fibromyalgia. He  said he used to walk 
with a cane, but now that he's  been using marijuana he's getting 
around much better.

According to Moore, the new ordinances would be taking  the lawful 
right to use medical marijuana away from  people like him. He said it 
would be much better if  medical marijuana users could "purchase 
their medicine  without having to go to some drug dealer's house to get it."

Kevin Justic said he lives near the site of the new  garden on 
Johnstonville Road. Expressing a state's  right concern, he said the 
ordinances would put a  "regulatory burden" on medical marijuana 
growers and  would be an attempt to "put someone out of 
business."  He called the new ordinances banning cultivation 
and  distribution "a knee jerk reaction."

Eric Toews said he hasn't heard of any problems with  the medical 
marijuana dispensary in Susanville. He  asked the board if motocross 
parks were identified in  the county's zoning ordinances.

Sam Shapiro said she was representing several friends  who used 
medical marijuana but were unable to attend  the meeting.

She told the story of one friend who suffered from  cancer and how 
the drug helped with her outlook on life  and with her appetite. 
Unfortunately, she said her  friend's cancer eventually spread and 
they lost her.

"But she went out with a smile on her face and weight  on her body," 
Shapiro said. "How many sheriff's do we  have in this county to 
patrol the streets? How many  miles and miles of road do they have to 
patrol? Isn't  there really a better use of their time on the 
road  than looking for pot farms?"

City Councilman Doug Sayers said he's opposed to  medical marijuana 
dispensaries in both the city and the  county.

"I'm opposed to turning Lassen County into a pot  county," Sayers 
said. "That's what I'm afraid of. I say  regulate this thing, put a 
lid on it and don't let it  get out of hand."

Tim Ziegler, the owner of the Californians for Safe  Access 
Collective in Susanville, said the local  ordinances conflict with state law.

One Johnstonville resident encouraged the board to get  the gardens 
and dispensaries away from schools. He said  the board had a moral 
obligation to protect the kids.  He said the placement of the new 
garden near the school  was "absolutely wrong."

Supervisor's comments

District 3 Supervisor Lloyd Keefer thanked the public  for its 
comments, noting there were a lot of diverse  opinions expressed.

But he said the matter before the board was a zoning  issue and the 
board was not trying to make medical  marijuana illegal. He said he 
would vote in favor of  the moratoria to give staff the time to take 
a look at  the zoning issues.

District 4 Supervisor Brian Dahle said the medical  marijuana battle 
was fought a long time ago, and the  board was struggling to find an 
answer to the zoning  questions.

District 5 Supervisor Jack Hanson said it was important  the board 
get all the facts and look at the issue  before making a decision on 
the appropriate sites for  medical marijuana gardens and dispensaries.

"That's exactly what we're going to do," Hanson said.  "There's no 
green light in Lassen County."

District 2 Supervisor Jim Chapman thanked the  participants for the 
comments and said they were  getting a lesson in Government 101. He 
said watching  laws being made is a lot like watching sausage being 
made -- it's an ugly business.

Chapman said he wanted county staff to make this one of  its top 
priorities and come up with a recommendation as  soon as possible.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom