Pubdate: Tue, 24 Nov 2015
Source: Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA)
Copyright: 2015 Appeal-Democrat
Contact: 
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/sections/services/forms/editorletter.php
Website: http://www.appeal-democrat.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1343
Author: Eric Vodden

3,500 SIGNATURES ON YUBA COUNTY POT DISPENSARY PETITIONS

Supporters of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in Yuba County 
have filed petitions containing more than 3,500 signatures in their 
effort to force a countywide vote on the issue.

County election officials confirmed that the Safe Patient Access to 
Regulated Cannabis group submitted initiative petitions on Friday 
afternoon. They were filed nearly three months ahead of a Feb. 13 deadline.

Election officials on Monday morning had not yet verified the number 
of signatures contained in the dispensary petitions, but supporters 
said they total 3,587.

Petition supporters would be required to have 2,483 signatures of 
registered voters to force a special election and 1,242 for 
consolidation with the June primary election. Election workers have 
until Jan. 8 to determine whether enough are of registered voters.

Mickey Martin of the Safe Patient Access group approached Yuba County 
supervisors in June about developing a new ordinance that would allow 
dispensaries in the county. Currently, there are no land-use 
provisions under which an application can be submitted to locate a 
cannabis dispensary in Yuba County.

The proposed Patients Access to Regulated Medical Cannabis Act would 
allow four licensed dispensaries in the county. The filing comes as 
election officials are still verifying whether there are enough 
signatures of registered voters in a separate initiative effort 
centered on the county's cannabis cultivation law. That drive seeks 
an election to overturn the growing ordinance and replace it with 
another that is less restrictive.

The group is separate from the Yuba Patients Coalition, which has a 
pending Yuba County Superior Court lawsuit challenging the 
constitutionality of the cultivation ordinance. It's also not 
affiliated with the Citizens for Solvency group pursuing a new 
cultivation ordinance.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom