Pubdate: Wed, 08 Dec 2010
Source: Santa Barbara Independent, The (CA)
Copyright: 2010 The Santa Barbara Independent, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.independent.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4348
Author: Ethan Stewart
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

COUNTY MAINTAINS STATUS 'NO' FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA SHOPS

With time running out on their emergency moratorium preventing any 
and all new medical marijuana dispensaries from opening up in the 
unincorporated areas of the county, Santa Barbara County Supervisors 
voted unanimously this week to extend the de facto ban for another 
year. Citing the usual suspects of confusing regulatory mandates and 
a stark uptick in alleged dispensary related busts by the County 
Sheriffs Department in the past year, the supervisors - extending the 
moratorium they first enacted last January for the maximum amount of 
time possible under the law - bought themselves some much needed time 
as staff works to develop a draft ordinance that would officially 
explain what the County's policy is towards such cannabis clubs.

Interestingly enough, with a handful of grandfathered-in clubs 
operating in various parts of Goleta and Summerland under county 
jurisdiction, including two that have been the subject of 
investigations and arrests by authorites in recent months, Supervisor 
Salud Carbajal led the charge as the Supes expressed a certain amount 
of frustration towards staff in regards to how much or, more 
accurately, how little is currently known about what clubs existed 
prior to the moratorium, the nature of their business (especially as 
it pertains to ganja-charged edibles) and what, if any, clubs may 
have illegally opened up since the moratorium. Supervisor Janet Wolf 
took it even further when she, hinting at how she might vote on a 
potential ordinance on the matter, opined, "If I had my druthers I 
would like a complete ban."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom