Pubdate: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA) Copyright: 2009 Los Angeles Newspaper Group Contact: http://www.presstelegram.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/244 Author: Paul Eakins Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Dispensary Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) COUNCIL SUPPORTS MEDICAL POT RULES WITH SOME CHANGES LONG BEACH - The City Council put its support behind much of City Attorney Bob Shannon's draft ordinance to regulate medical marijuana collectives Tuesday, but cut some of the more restrictive requirements from the law. Council members have been urgently working to create a way to control the growth of the collectives, which are estimated at 50 to 60 in Long Beach, and resisted the urging Tuesday by some members of the public and by council members Rae Gabelich and Dee Andrews to return it to committee for more discussion. The council voted unanimously to have Shannon make changes to the ordinance. The changes were suggested by Councilman Gary DeLong and echoed the views of several other council members. However, several council members indicated they still had concerns and changes to make to the ordinance, which will return to the council again as a draft in the coming weeks. "We've gone from a one size fits all to a one size fits none," DeLong said of Shannon's proposed ordinance. The changes included, among others, allowing collectives in mixed-use areas; removing prohibitions against having collectives within 1,000 feet of libraries and parks; improving patient privacy issues so as to not identify every member of a collective; giving a grace period for existing collectives to comply once the law goes into effect; and allowing collective patients to grow marijuana in their homes. The law would still prohibit collectives in residential areas or within 1,000 feet of schools, licensed child-care facilities, playgrounds, youth centers or other collectives; limits hours of operation to between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.; and restrict marijuana distribution to collective members only. Medical marijuana patients and collective members spoke out Tuesday against parts of the law initially proposed by Shannon, especially the requirement that all members be named and the 1,000-feet rule. Attorney Rick Brizendine, who represents Belmont Shore Natural Care medical marijuana collective on Second Street, called the proposed requirements "onerous," especially the location restrictions. "It would exclude so many areas as to make it nearly impossible for some patients to obtain their medicine," Brizendine said. Neighbors of the collectives have raised safety concerns about that, noting the appearance of shady characters who appear to be acquiring medical marijuana for recreational use, rather than medicinal purposes. "I have no problem with medical marijuana. It serves a good purpose," said California Heights resident Vernon Geiger. He added, however, that a collective next to his apartment building has created parking problems and said "having three dispensaries within a quarter of a mile of my residence is ridiculous." The number of marijuana collectives has exploded in recent months after the federal government announced a policy that it won't prosecute collectives that are following state law, despite all marijuana being illegal at the federal level. Long Beach's estimated 50 to 60 collectives are much fewer in number in comparison to the more than 800 in Los Angeles. California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996 to allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Collectives must register with the state, but the law allows local governments to create their own regulations as well. Numerous state, county and city officials in California - including Long Beach City Prosecutor Tom Reeves - have said they believe many collectives are selling the drug, which isn't permitted under the state's medical marijuana laws. Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley has said he plans to prosecute collectives that are violating state law. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom