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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom