Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Shasta and Tehama counties went in opposite directions Tuesday as they voted on 45-day moratoriums on medical marijuana outlets.
Shasta County supervisors rejected their attorney's recommendation for the moratorium on medical marijuana outlets in unincorporated areas while the Tehama County supervisors passed a similar measure 4 to 1.
The urgency ordinances would have halted issuance of use permits to medical marijuana facilities to give the county staff time to collect information and possibly suggest a new zoning ordinance for the co-ops, County Counsel Michael Ralston said. The Shasta County moratorium could have been extended for up to two years if warranted, he said.
The cities of Anderson and Shasta Lake already have passed similar legislation.
Shasta County Supervisor Les Baugh voiced his support for the moratorium and opposition to the continued establishment of medical marijuana collectives, but the other supervisors weren't as eager to agree.
Supervisor David Kehoe questioned the necessity of an "urgency" ordinance.
"What are we trying to stop here?" he said. "What are we trying to do?"
Several county department heads weighed in.
Director of Resource Management Russ Mull said he felt the moratorium was a stall tactic and wouldn't accomplish anything.
"What you're looking at is a horse that has long been out of the barn," he said.
Current zoning codes already in place should be able to adequately cover medical marijuana facilities, he said.
Mull said the dispensaries can be placed under any number of zoning descriptors that would prohibit them from being opened near schools or other sensitive areas.
From a law enforcement standpoint, District Attorney Jerry Benito said the laws on medical marijuana are ambiguous and therefore hard to enforce.
Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said he supported the moratorium and thought it could eliminate confusion within his department and other law enforcement agencies.
"It's time to step back, see what the laws are and what other communities have done in California," he said.
Kehoe said the Sheriff's Office should take action against any illegal activity within medical marijuana outlets but didn't see how the moratorium would solve any problems.
The board sent the matter to the county Department of Resource Management for review, and Mull said one of the first things the department will do is notify a recently-opened collective in Cottonwood that owners must apply for a use permit. Then the department will review existing zoning code to determine if any areas need clarification or if a new ordinance is needed, he said.
After the Shasta County supervisors' meeting, Michael Vasquez, secretary to the board of directors for medical marijuana collective Trinity Gardens Inc., said he agreed with the county that some co-op regulations need to be looked at.
"We're open to what the county has to say," he said. "We don't want to see crime. We stay away from schools and other institutions."
In Tehama County, Supervisor Charles Willard cast the sole dissenting vote.
Willard said he didn't understand the urgency of the matter. No incidents have been reported to law enforcement regarding dispensaries in the county's unincorporated areas, he said.
"Why are we rushing to do this when there aren't any issues reported?" he said. "It's like a witch hunt."
Willard said the county shouldn't need a moratorium to conduct a study on the issue, but the other board members felt differently.
"Very simply, there are zoning requirements for drug stores (and) there are additional requirements for drugs stores," Board Chairman George Russell said. "The dispensary is considered a pharmacy. So I felt it was reasonable that the topic be analyzed by the planning department and others to determine what their thoughts are."
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: redding.com
Author: Amanda Winters
Copyright: 2009 The E.W. Scripps Co.
Contact: Latest News : News Archive : Redding Record Searchlight: Local Redding, California News Delivered Throughout the Day.
Website: Shasta, Tehama supervisors take opposite stands on marijuana dispensaries Redding Record Searchlight
Shasta County supervisors rejected their attorney's recommendation for the moratorium on medical marijuana outlets in unincorporated areas while the Tehama County supervisors passed a similar measure 4 to 1.
The urgency ordinances would have halted issuance of use permits to medical marijuana facilities to give the county staff time to collect information and possibly suggest a new zoning ordinance for the co-ops, County Counsel Michael Ralston said. The Shasta County moratorium could have been extended for up to two years if warranted, he said.
The cities of Anderson and Shasta Lake already have passed similar legislation.
Shasta County Supervisor Les Baugh voiced his support for the moratorium and opposition to the continued establishment of medical marijuana collectives, but the other supervisors weren't as eager to agree.
Supervisor David Kehoe questioned the necessity of an "urgency" ordinance.
"What are we trying to stop here?" he said. "What are we trying to do?"
Several county department heads weighed in.
Director of Resource Management Russ Mull said he felt the moratorium was a stall tactic and wouldn't accomplish anything.
"What you're looking at is a horse that has long been out of the barn," he said.
Current zoning codes already in place should be able to adequately cover medical marijuana facilities, he said.
Mull said the dispensaries can be placed under any number of zoning descriptors that would prohibit them from being opened near schools or other sensitive areas.
From a law enforcement standpoint, District Attorney Jerry Benito said the laws on medical marijuana are ambiguous and therefore hard to enforce.
Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said he supported the moratorium and thought it could eliminate confusion within his department and other law enforcement agencies.
"It's time to step back, see what the laws are and what other communities have done in California," he said.
Kehoe said the Sheriff's Office should take action against any illegal activity within medical marijuana outlets but didn't see how the moratorium would solve any problems.
The board sent the matter to the county Department of Resource Management for review, and Mull said one of the first things the department will do is notify a recently-opened collective in Cottonwood that owners must apply for a use permit. Then the department will review existing zoning code to determine if any areas need clarification or if a new ordinance is needed, he said.
After the Shasta County supervisors' meeting, Michael Vasquez, secretary to the board of directors for medical marijuana collective Trinity Gardens Inc., said he agreed with the county that some co-op regulations need to be looked at.
"We're open to what the county has to say," he said. "We don't want to see crime. We stay away from schools and other institutions."
In Tehama County, Supervisor Charles Willard cast the sole dissenting vote.
Willard said he didn't understand the urgency of the matter. No incidents have been reported to law enforcement regarding dispensaries in the county's unincorporated areas, he said.
"Why are we rushing to do this when there aren't any issues reported?" he said. "It's like a witch hunt."
Willard said the county shouldn't need a moratorium to conduct a study on the issue, but the other board members felt differently.
"Very simply, there are zoning requirements for drug stores (and) there are additional requirements for drugs stores," Board Chairman George Russell said. "The dispensary is considered a pharmacy. So I felt it was reasonable that the topic be analyzed by the planning department and others to determine what their thoughts are."
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: redding.com
Author: Amanda Winters
Copyright: 2009 The E.W. Scripps Co.
Contact: Latest News : News Archive : Redding Record Searchlight: Local Redding, California News Delivered Throughout the Day.
Website: Shasta, Tehama supervisors take opposite stands on marijuana dispensaries Redding Record Searchlight
