Pubdate: Wed, 16 Sep 2009
Source: Orange County Register, The (CA)
Copyright: 2009 The Orange County Register
Contact:  http://www.ocregister.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321
Author: Erika I. Ritchie, The Orange County Register
Cited: Lake Forest City Council http://www.cityoflakeforest.com/cg/cg2b.htm
Cited: Orange County NORML http://www.ocnorml.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/dispensaries
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

POT USERS WITH CHRONIC AILMENTS LOBBY CITY COUNCIL

About 150 People Show Up in Lake Forest to Ask City Officials for 
Compromise on Marijuana Dispensaries.

LAKE FOREST - Medical pot proponents called their peaceful rally 
tonight at Lake Forest's City Council meeting a success, saying the 
turnout brought awareness to the many patients helped through the use 
of medicinal marijuana.

The group - about 150 strong, filling the council chambers to 
capacity - vowed to return for the next City Council meeting to work 
toward keeping city dispensaries going by collaborating with city 
officials on how to regulate them.

"The solution is to regulate them," said Ryan Michaels, 27, who works 
with several of the Lake Forest dispensaries, to assure they are in 
compliance. "I don't think the problem is the city of Lake Forest. 
They are being pushed by their attorneys. The solution is regulating 
them and mitigating them through patient fundraisers. Potentially, we 
can come to a compromise."

About eight people spoke before Mayor Mark Tettemer cut the meeting 
short because of the pending departure of Councilwomen Marcia Rudolph 
and Kathryn McCullough, who were headed to San Jose to join already 
absent Councilman Richard Dixon for a League of California Cities Conference.

Tettemer invited speakers to return for the Oct. 6 meeting or submit 
written comments.

The group carried signs with messages such as "Support your state. It 
supports marijuana" and "My grandmother needs safe access."

Testimonials from medical marijuana patients drew loud applause from 
those present.

Suzette Frank, a resident of Lake Forest, spoke about Crohn's disease 
and the battle she waged to stay off of prescriptions like Vicodin 
and OxyContin.

"I'm chronically nauseous and I've had major surgery," she said. "The 
only thing that helps me is medical marijuana. I like the collectives 
here so I don't have to drive to Los Angeles. They're always 
professional and everything is nice and clean."

Michael Hawkins, 58, from Ladera Ranch told the council that last 
year, he was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor, which was crushing 
the left side of his brain. He had surgery and was put on morphine 
and other painkillers.

"I was sent home addicted," he said. "They reduced my pain but left 
me completely incapacitated. The withdrawal was hellish. I reduced 
myself to over-the-counter medication but that didn't help. Then a 
friend told me about cannabis. I smoked some and it relieved the pain 
and gave me back my appetite. Please don't choose political 
expedience over the care of people like myself. Please follow the law 
of the state and the will of the people."

The group - made up of representatives for patients with cancer, 
AIDS, chronic pain and nerve issues also includes advocacy groups 
like Medical Marijuana Inc. and OC NORML, the local chapter of the 
National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws. The group is 
hopeful of changing the city's direction in the wake of its recent 
legal efforts to remove at least 10 pot dispensaries operating in 
some of the city's strip malls.

On Sept. 1, the Lake Forest City Council announced that it had filed 
civil complaints against 35 people associated with 14 medical 
marijuana dispensaries in the city and called on immediate 
prosecution and abatement of the storefronts.

"We will initiate prosecution against the operators and landlords of 
these dispensaries operating in violation of federal law and 
violation of the city's zoning code," said City Attorney Scott Smith. 
"They are not permitted in any area of the city."

The complaints are the first step in the city's ultimate goal of 
permanently shutting down these shops. The city's municipal code 
prohibits uses not explicitly allowed in commercial areas and 
prohibits businesses that violate state and federal law.

The City Council has taken no position on the use of medical 
marijuana for personal use by seriously ill people where the medical 
use is deemed appropriate by a physician, officials said.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake