Pubdate: Sun, 1 Aug 2010
Source: Record Searchlight (Redding, CA)
Copyright: 2010 Record Searchlight
Contact:  http://www.redding.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/360
Author: Scott Mobley, Record-Searchlight
Cited: Proposition 19 http://www.taxcannabis.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Proposition+19

IF STATE OKs POT, REDDING MIGHT NOT

Redding will take a dry run Tuesday at whether the city will be a 
"dry" town should California voters legalize recreational marijuana use.

Early indications are a council majority would not favor allowing 
recreational marijuana stores to crop up among the 19 heavily 
regulated medicinal cannabis clubs already operating within city limits.

Police Chief Peter Hansen on Tuesday will urge the City Council to go 
on record opposing Prop. 19, the marijuana legalization initiative on 
the November ballot.

Reached for comment Friday, most council members were leaning in 
favor of taking a stand against Prop. 19.

"The city absolutely should come out against Prop. 19 for a variety 
of reasons," said council member Dick Dickerson, who has supported 
medicinal marijuana with restrictions.

Council member Mary Stegall, who has also supported medicinal 
cannabis, has said she draws the line at legalizing recreational use.

Mayor Patrick Jones has consistently opposed marijuana consumption of 
any kind, arguing it remains illegal under federal law despite 
California's Compassionate Use Act.

Council member Rick Bosetti declined to comment Friday, saying he 
wanted to hear what Chief Hansen and others will say before 
considering whether the city should oppose Prop. 19.

Vice Mayor Missy McArthur, who has favored taxing medicinal cannabis 
and recreational marijuana use, also said Friday she wants to hear 
what others say at the Tuesday meeting.

Redding resident James Benno, who heads the Northern California 
chapter of NORML, has strongly criticized the city's medicinal 
cannabis regulations as too intrusive and restrictive.

Benno was astounded Friday the council will consider a stand opposing Prop. 19.

"They are violating patient's rights, and they are trying to 
blackball the legalization movement," Benno said. "They want to 
complain about how broke they are, and now they are turning their 
backs on a potential revenue source. We need a new council."

The League of California Cities and the California Police Chiefs 
Association, among other state and local organizations, are 
encouraging cities to adopt resolutions against Prop. 19, according 
to a council report.

The measure, if voters approve, would allow people 21 and older to 
possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to 25 square feet of 
the plant for personal use.

Prop. 19 would also allow cities and counties to tax and regulate the 
drug and the plant.

Criminal and civil penalties against driving under the influence, 
selling drugs to minors and showing up to work stoned would apply 
under Prop. 19.

But the resolution up for adoption Tuesday says public and private 
employers would have no recourse against workers using marijuana in 
the permitted manner.

Prop. 19 may cost cities federal funds under the Federal Drug-Free 
Work Place Act of 1988, according to the council report.

Local governments could ban recreational marijuana use outright, 
under the proposed law.

Council members drew a sharp distinction between medicinal cannabis 
and recreational marijuana at a meeting July 20, when they declined 
to pursue a ballot measure taxing the herb.

A council majority was unwilling to consider raising the gross 
receipts tax cannabis clubs, saying such a tax would hurt poorer 
people who may most need the medicine.

Council members at that meeting decided to wait until after November 
to address how the city will deal with recreational marijuana use, 
should it become legal.

[sidebar]

IF YOU GO

What: Redding City Council meeting.

When: 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Where: Council chambers, 777 Cypress Ave.

Agenda includes: Oasis Road interchange, Prop. 19, landscape 
maintenance district fees. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake