Robert Celt
New Member
Town representatives and even an opponent of the proposed medical marijuana ordinance said the crowd's behavior during Monday night's planning commission meeting was disrespectful and unnecessary.
Leanne Hastings, owner of 530GreenTrees medical marijuana delivery service, opposes the ban because it includes a prohibition on deliveries.
She has more than 200 patients in Paradise and about half are unable to leave their home to get medication, she said. Delivery is the only way these and other patients can get their medicine.
She knew something was going to be done about cultivation because there are those who abuse the system.
"But shouting, 'Go to hell!'?" she said. "I get that people feel their rights are being taken away from them, but acting like that is not going to get anybody anywhere."
Before the meeting ended resident Thomas Wahl left, shouting, "You're not on my property! You can go to hell!" several times as he walked down the hall, a response to Commissioner Martin Nichols' statement that the matter at hand was not about the pros and cons of marijuana, but about land use.
Court cases from the County of Fresno and the City of Live Oak have determined that medical marijuana can be prohibited via land use ordinances.
Also during the meeting, a woman in the audience called various people "a--hole" a few times and many others in the crowd heckled those who spoke in favor of the proposal.
Hastings said she hopes the crowd is better behaved when the ordinance goes before the council next month. Hastings has started a petition to remove "delivery" from the ordinance.
Other than her business, she has a personal stake in seeing to it that medical marijuana is available in Paradise. Her son has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a childhood muscular disorder that causes atrophy of the muscles to eventually spread throughout the body, according to WebMd. It is severe, spreads quickly, and is terminal, with the average life expectancy around the early 20s. Hastings uses her cannabis products to ease her son's suffering. Prohibiting delivery will affect a lot of people - like her son - who have a legitimate need for the medicine, she said.
As she rallies support, she's reminding people to stay civil.
"If you want to be treated like an adult, you have to act like an adult," she said.
The ordinance passed with a 3-2 vote, but Nichols' motion to approve almost died for lack of a second.
Commissioner Stephanie Neumann broke the silence and started to speak when an audience member made an assumption about Neumann's vote.
"I can do without your sarcasm and I'm going to second this," Neumann said.
She later said she knows people on both sides with sincere and intelligent points on the issue. She was going to vote yes anyway due to public safety concerns, but the behavior of the crowd didn't do much to dissuade her, she said.
"When you go before a commission or council it would behoove you to be polite and respectful when asking someone to support a cause," she said.
In addition to the passionate crowd, the meeting was loosely run. Audience members who wanted to talk about the matter were asked to fill out a card in order to maintain an orderly meeting. But once the cards ran out, Chairman Jim Clarkson asked for further comment and a few residents took several turns each, wandered off topic, and interrogated town attorney Dwight Moore, staff member Craig Baker and even another audience member.
Despite the hecklers many ordinance opponents did keep their calm, making points about not only creating an underground market but turning good, decent people into criminals. They further discounted the smell argument on the basis everything smells and someone is always going to be offended by it. Opponents also felt there was a lack of notification and questioned the timing of the meeting - during Christmas week when people are distracted.
New state laws that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2016 have spurred cities across the state to enact similar ordinances.
Town Manager Lauren Gill said those in favor of the ordinance tend to not show up partially because they get heckled and intimidated by the opposition.
"It's difficult for a commission or a council in any city to hold public hearing and get input when the crowd is being hostile and not allowing everyone to speak to every side of the issue," Gill said. "There were some very vocal people in the audience that were trying to heckle and intimidate the commission and audience members who wanted to speak in favor of the ordinance."
She thinks the next meeting will be less volatile.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: California: Pot Ban Opponents Loudly Voice Concerns
Author: Trevor Warner
Contact: Digital First Media
Photo Credit: Terrance Thornton
Website: Paradise Post
Leanne Hastings, owner of 530GreenTrees medical marijuana delivery service, opposes the ban because it includes a prohibition on deliveries.
She has more than 200 patients in Paradise and about half are unable to leave their home to get medication, she said. Delivery is the only way these and other patients can get their medicine.
She knew something was going to be done about cultivation because there are those who abuse the system.
"But shouting, 'Go to hell!'?" she said. "I get that people feel their rights are being taken away from them, but acting like that is not going to get anybody anywhere."
Before the meeting ended resident Thomas Wahl left, shouting, "You're not on my property! You can go to hell!" several times as he walked down the hall, a response to Commissioner Martin Nichols' statement that the matter at hand was not about the pros and cons of marijuana, but about land use.
Court cases from the County of Fresno and the City of Live Oak have determined that medical marijuana can be prohibited via land use ordinances.
Also during the meeting, a woman in the audience called various people "a--hole" a few times and many others in the crowd heckled those who spoke in favor of the proposal.
Hastings said she hopes the crowd is better behaved when the ordinance goes before the council next month. Hastings has started a petition to remove "delivery" from the ordinance.
Other than her business, she has a personal stake in seeing to it that medical marijuana is available in Paradise. Her son has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a childhood muscular disorder that causes atrophy of the muscles to eventually spread throughout the body, according to WebMd. It is severe, spreads quickly, and is terminal, with the average life expectancy around the early 20s. Hastings uses her cannabis products to ease her son's suffering. Prohibiting delivery will affect a lot of people - like her son - who have a legitimate need for the medicine, she said.
As she rallies support, she's reminding people to stay civil.
"If you want to be treated like an adult, you have to act like an adult," she said.
The ordinance passed with a 3-2 vote, but Nichols' motion to approve almost died for lack of a second.
Commissioner Stephanie Neumann broke the silence and started to speak when an audience member made an assumption about Neumann's vote.
"I can do without your sarcasm and I'm going to second this," Neumann said.
She later said she knows people on both sides with sincere and intelligent points on the issue. She was going to vote yes anyway due to public safety concerns, but the behavior of the crowd didn't do much to dissuade her, she said.
"When you go before a commission or council it would behoove you to be polite and respectful when asking someone to support a cause," she said.
In addition to the passionate crowd, the meeting was loosely run. Audience members who wanted to talk about the matter were asked to fill out a card in order to maintain an orderly meeting. But once the cards ran out, Chairman Jim Clarkson asked for further comment and a few residents took several turns each, wandered off topic, and interrogated town attorney Dwight Moore, staff member Craig Baker and even another audience member.
Despite the hecklers many ordinance opponents did keep their calm, making points about not only creating an underground market but turning good, decent people into criminals. They further discounted the smell argument on the basis everything smells and someone is always going to be offended by it. Opponents also felt there was a lack of notification and questioned the timing of the meeting - during Christmas week when people are distracted.
New state laws that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2016 have spurred cities across the state to enact similar ordinances.
Town Manager Lauren Gill said those in favor of the ordinance tend to not show up partially because they get heckled and intimidated by the opposition.
"It's difficult for a commission or a council in any city to hold public hearing and get input when the crowd is being hostile and not allowing everyone to speak to every side of the issue," Gill said. "There were some very vocal people in the audience that were trying to heckle and intimidate the commission and audience members who wanted to speak in favor of the ordinance."
She thinks the next meeting will be less volatile.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: California: Pot Ban Opponents Loudly Voice Concerns
Author: Trevor Warner
Contact: Digital First Media
Photo Credit: Terrance Thornton
Website: Paradise Post
