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Federal prosecutors have dropped their demand for the names of medical marijuana growers who took part in a unique Mendocino County program that let cultivators buy county permits for up to 99 pot plants.
The prosecutors' action was reported Friday in federal court in San Francisco. The county halted its permit program under federal pressure last year.
Mendocino allowed residents, starting in June 2010, to grow up to 99 marijuana plants on their property, subject to inspection by the sheriff's office, and required them to buy zip ties at $50 per plant to show they were complying with local regulations and the state's medical marijuana law.
Threat of legal action
County supervisors suspended the 99-plant program in January 2012 after U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag threatened legal action. It was part of an Obama administration crackdown that has led to the closures of at least 400 medical marijuana dispensaries in California.
The county has continued a program that allows individuals or collectives growing up to 25 marijuana plants for medical use to volunteer to buy zip ties.
In October, Haag's office in San Francisco obtained a subpoena from a federal grand jury seeking all records of both Mendocino zip-tie programs. Supervisors fought the subpoena, and the case was resolved Friday after prosecutors withdrew their demands for names, addresses, medical records and other identifying information of participants.
The settlement protects "confidential, private medical information of medical marijuana patients, cultivators and activists," said Adam Wolf, a lawyer for the Emerald Growers Association, which represents about 350 marijuana growers and supporters.
The county agreed to turn over records of the program's finances, inspections and other details. Supervisor John McCowen, who sponsored the ordinance creating the program, said it had generated about $750,000 in fees from 18 permit-holders in 2010 and about 90 in 2011.
McCowen said the federally imposed shutdown "has had the effect of driving medical marijuana back underground" and is hard to understand. "If they're looking for drug kingpins, I don't think it would be the kind of person who would voluntarily come forward" for inspection by the sheriff, he said.
Plea for consistency
County Sheriff Tom Allman was also frustrated. "Until the federal courts and state courts get some kind of consistency with marijuana laws, this type of action is going to continue," he said.
Haag's office had no comment, said spokesman Joshua Eaton
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: sfgate.com
Author: Bob Egelko
Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate
Website: Feds halt bid to ID medical pot growers - SFGate
The prosecutors' action was reported Friday in federal court in San Francisco. The county halted its permit program under federal pressure last year.
Mendocino allowed residents, starting in June 2010, to grow up to 99 marijuana plants on their property, subject to inspection by the sheriff's office, and required them to buy zip ties at $50 per plant to show they were complying with local regulations and the state's medical marijuana law.
Threat of legal action
County supervisors suspended the 99-plant program in January 2012 after U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag threatened legal action. It was part of an Obama administration crackdown that has led to the closures of at least 400 medical marijuana dispensaries in California.
The county has continued a program that allows individuals or collectives growing up to 25 marijuana plants for medical use to volunteer to buy zip ties.
In October, Haag's office in San Francisco obtained a subpoena from a federal grand jury seeking all records of both Mendocino zip-tie programs. Supervisors fought the subpoena, and the case was resolved Friday after prosecutors withdrew their demands for names, addresses, medical records and other identifying information of participants.
The settlement protects "confidential, private medical information of medical marijuana patients, cultivators and activists," said Adam Wolf, a lawyer for the Emerald Growers Association, which represents about 350 marijuana growers and supporters.
The county agreed to turn over records of the program's finances, inspections and other details. Supervisor John McCowen, who sponsored the ordinance creating the program, said it had generated about $750,000 in fees from 18 permit-holders in 2010 and about 90 in 2011.
McCowen said the federally imposed shutdown "has had the effect of driving medical marijuana back underground" and is hard to understand. "If they're looking for drug kingpins, I don't think it would be the kind of person who would voluntarily come forward" for inspection by the sheriff, he said.
Plea for consistency
County Sheriff Tom Allman was also frustrated. "Until the federal courts and state courts get some kind of consistency with marijuana laws, this type of action is going to continue," he said.
Haag's office had no comment, said spokesman Joshua Eaton
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: sfgate.com
Author: Bob Egelko
Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate
Website: Feds halt bid to ID medical pot growers - SFGate
