Pubdate: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 Source: Union, The (Grass Valley, CA) Copyright: 2009 The Union Contact: http://apps.theunion.com/utils/forms/lettertoeditor/ Website: http://www.theunion.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/957 Author: Dave Moller, Senior Staff Writer Cited: Nevada County Board of Supervisors http://new.mynevadacounty.com/boardofsupervisors/ Cited: Nevada City Council http://www.nevadacityca.gov/citycouncil.php Referenced: The Attorney General's guidelines http://drugsense.org/url/kKMJR2lu Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/dispensaries Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal) COUNTY PUTS THE CLAMP ON POT SHOPS Don't look for a medical marijuana dispensary to open in Nevada County outside of its cities soon. The Nevada County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an emergency, 45-day moratorium on medical pot shops Tuesday. Supervisors then gave the job of crafting an ordinance regulating dispensaries to three county departments that already strongly oppose them. "I don't oppose medical marijuana, but I vehemently oppose outright retail sales of marijuana," said District Attorney Cliff Newell, who also suggested a "long-term moratorium" be considered. Newell led the charge along with Sheriff Keith Royal and Planning Director Jody Stewart. The move means legal pot shops can't be opened in the county areas outside the cities of Truckee, Grass Valley and Nevada City at least until Sept. 26. Grass Valley is under a one-year moratorium for dispensaries. Nevada City council members will deal with their 45-day moratorium when it lapses tonight. Truckee officials were unavailable for comment late Tuesday on whether the town has an ordinance. Although Stewart said the departments would look into ordinances that would allow or disallow medical pot shops in the county, Royal and Newell spoke firmly against them. Nevada County has seen many incidents of crime involving marijuana, including "major assaults, batteries, robberies; we've had murders," Royal said. He also expressed fear that people would try to buy or steal marijuana from patients near dispensaries. The sheriff pointed to a report on dispensaries from the California Police Chiefs Association saying medical pot shops attract criminals and cause crime to increase in the areas where they are opened. "There's a dark reality of what happens when you put a dispensary in your community," Royal said. Supporting the moratorium was Deputy County Counsel Michael Jamison, who said he believes dispensaries were illegal because the people providing marijuana for them are not primary caregivers, as outlined by state law and Attorney General's guidelines. Unlike the meetings on pot shops in Grass Valley and Nevada City, where proponents spoke for opening a dispensary, only one person did so at the county level. Cloyd O'Dell said he was a Little League coach and contractor in the county until he had a stroke. Pain pills don't help him, but medical marijuana does, O'Dell said. "There are people who need it," O'Dell added. "This would take some illegal sales off the street." O'Dell said he resented "the scare tactics" used by county officials, Nevada Joint Union High School District Superintendent Ralf Swenson and County Schools Superintendent Holly Hermansen to put the moratorium in place. "How many crimes are due to crank, pill drugs and alcohol?" O'Dell asked. "Way more than marijuana." Swenson, Hermansen and District 1 Supervisor Nate Beason said it made no sense to them to be spending tax dollars on anti-drug programs in the community, while saying a medical pot shop is OK. Audience member Pearl Bernard and District 3 Supervisor John Spencer both said it did not make sense to them why people would have to use or create another facility other than a drugstore to get their medicine. Bernard suggested Hospice of the Foothills become a caregiver for those who need medical marijuana while they are dying. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake