Pubdate: Tue, 18 Sep 2007
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)
Copyright: 2007 Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/news/edit/form.htm
Website: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394
Author: Shanna Mccord, Sentinel staff writer
Cited: Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana http://www.wamm.org
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Valerie+Corral
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

SANTA CRUZ LIFTS PARK SMOKING BAN FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA FESTIVAL

SANTA CRUZ -- City leaders have made an exception to the no-smoking 
rule at parks to allow an annual tradition to continue.

The smoking ban, less than two years old, will be lifted temporarily 
for medical marijuana users to medicate at San Lorenzo Park during 
next week's Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana annual festival.

"I think there's a solid basis for supporting this group," said 
Councilman Mike Rotkin, who joined Mayor Emily Reilly in writing the 
resolution to exempt WAMM from the smoking ban. "They're pretty 
selfless folks. It's not like they're out there profiting off other 
people's medical needs."

WAMM is a cooperative started in 1993 for seriously ill medical 
marijuana patients to grow and share the plant. The cooperative has 
about 200 members.

The City Council unanimously approved the exemption last week.

The smoking ban was created in March 2006 to protect public health 
and safety at San Lorenzo and Grant Street parks.

The ban would have prevented organizers and attendees of WAMM's Sept. 
29 festival from using their medicine, WAMM co-founder Valerie Corral 
said. Corral spoke with Reilly about her medical concerns about 
patients not using marijuana while attending the event and didn't 
want them to have to stay home.

Smoking has been a regular part of the WAMM festival, which has taken 
place annually for 14 years to raise awareness and funds for medical 
marijuana issues and celebrate the community's support for the 
cooperative Corral started with her husband, Mike Corral.

Corral estimated nearly 2,000 people attended last year's festival.

Smoking marijuana takes place inside a tent by a small portion of 
attendees, she said.

"This isn't Ohio," Corral said Tuesday. "It makes perfect sense to 
use medical marijuana in a very discreet and thoughtful manner. This 
is the way it's always been and there's never ever been a remote complaint."

Rotkin said the council would likely make similar exceptions for 
other groups doing good in the community.

He cited the city's sleeping ban, which prevents camping in city 
parks, as an example. "If the Boy Scouts wanted to have a sleep out 
in Harvey West Park, we'd say yes," Rotkin said. "WAMM falls into 
that general category."

However, Councilman Ed Porter said he had "mixed feelings" about 
granting the temporary exemption.

The issue was on the council's consent agenda, a list of items passed 
without discussion, and was not questioned by the council or public.

"If it were publicly discussed, I'd probably have voted no," Porter 
said. "I just decided not to be the only one to question it, so I 
remained silent."

The exemption will be in effect from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 29. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake