Pubdate: Wed, 04 Jun 2014
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Copyright: 2014 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Contact: http://www.reviewjournal.com/about/print/press/letterstoeditor.html
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/233
Author: Ben Botkin
Page: 5B
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

CLARK COUNTY TO START THREE DAYS OF MEDICAL POT HEARINGS

Clark County commissioners will embark today on a three-day marathon 
of public hearings to winnow 81 applicants for medical marijuana 
dispensaries to 18 dispensaries.

The county's three-day process means that, at the earliest, 
commissioners will decide Friday afternoon on the 18 dispensaries in 
unincorporated areas of the county that will be sent to the state for 
approval. A decision on the 18 could come after Friday as well.

Each of the 81 applicants has a public hearing, giving neighbors a 
chance to testify. But commissioners intend for the process to remain 
on a tight schedule.

Among the rules: applicants each have six minutes to make their case. 
Each member of the public testifying on an individual dispensary 
application has two minutes.

During each applicant's hearings, the commission will have three 
minutes - total, not apiece - to ask questions. For Commissioner 
Chris Giunchigliani, for example, employee training is important.

"I don't like the term 'bud tenders,'" she said, stressing that it's 
professional job.

Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak encouraged his colleagues to keep 
their questions brief and to the point.

County staff will have the dispensary locations on a map, with stick 
pins representing the different applications.

Among the things that commissioners said they will be looking at: How 
unique are the applicants? Did they bring in advisory expertise to help?

Are they local? How professional are they?

The first meeting starts at noon today at the Clark County Government 
Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. Officials are expecting a big 
crowd. The dispensary applicants will be grouped together by 
township. The first day will cover applicants in Enterprise, 
Laughlin, Whitney, Sunrise Manor and Winchester townships.

The all-day meetings Thursday and Friday will both start at 8 a.m. 
The Thursday meeting covers applicants in Paradise township; the 
Friday meeting covers applicants in Spring Valley.

Getting chosen by the county doesn't make the dispensary a done deal. 
The state's Division of Public and Behavioral Health could reject an 
applicant, leaving the public with fewer qualified dispensaries.

The public also can watch the meetings live on television and online. 
The meetings will be broadcast on Clark County Television (CCTV), 
which is on Channel 4 in the Las Vegas area via Cox cable and 
CenturyLink and Channel 89.13 on televisions without converter boxes. 
Laughlin viewers can watch on Channel 14 via CMA Access. The county's 
website that shows the meetings is wwww.ClarkCountyNV.gov.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom